A 
A 

0 
0 
0 

8 

7 
7 

9 
5 


.HISTORY  OF  BRADFORD,  MASS.^ 


FROM 


THE    EARLIEST    PERIOD 


TO  THE  CLOSE  OF  1820, 


BY 


GARDNER  B.  PERRY,  A.  M. 
(As  contained  in  his  Historical  Sermon  delivered  Dec.  20,  1820.) 


Haverhill,  Mass  : 
c.  c.  morse  &  son,  book  and  job  printers. 


^ 


Most  of  the  facts  contained  in  this  discourse  have  been  gathered  by  per- 
sonal enquiry.  It  is  not  improbable  there  may  be  a  trifling  inaccuracy  in 
some  of  the  dates,  though  I  can  hardly  think  after  all  that  has  been  done 
to  get  to  the  truth,  there  will  be  found  many  very  important  errors  on  this 
subject.  But  as  the  memories  of  men  are  not  always  to  be  depended  upon, 
it  may  be  proper  to  observe,  I  have  endeavored  to  state  the  truth,  and  be- 
lieve I  have  taken  proper  pains  to  ascertain  it.  With  these  observations, 
I  now  commit  the  discourse  to  my  beloved  people,  for  whose  entertainment 
it  was  at  first  written,  with  my  best  wishes  for  their  temporal  and  spirit- 
ual welfare.  THE  AUTHOR. 


DISCOURSE. 


2  KINGS  XX.  20. 

And  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  hezekiah,  and  all  his  might,  and 
HOW  he  made  a  pool,  and  a  conduit,  and  brought  avater  into 

the  city,  ABE  THEY  NOT  WRITTEN  IN  THE  BOOK  OB    THE  CHRONICLES 
OF  THE  KINGS  OF  JUDAH  ? 

X  HE  countenance  afforded  in  this  and  many  other  pas- 
sages of  scripture,  to  the  habit  of  recording  what  men  do, 
and  the  improvements  they  make  in  the  various  business 
of  life,  will  be  my  support  in  calling  your  attention  this 
day  to  some  of  the  events  connected  with  the  history  of 
this  town. 

It  is  well  known  to  you,  that  two  hundred  years  have 
now  rolled  away,  since  the  first  settlement  was  made  in 
Plymouth  by  a  company  of  men,  whose  object,  as  ex- 
pressed by  themselves,  was  "  to  walk  in  all  the  ways  of 
God  made  known  or  to  be  made  known  to  them,  accord- 
ing to  their  best  endeavours."  This  prepared  the  way 
for  others  to  come  ;  and  in  the  year  1628,  the  proprietors 
of  that  section  of  this  country,  which  constitutes  the  great- 
er part  of  this  commonwealth,  sent  over  Mr.  Endicotte 
with  about  a  hundred  planters,  who  arrived  at  the  place 
now  called  Salem,  the  6th  of  September  the  same  year, 
and  laid  the  foundation  of  that  town.  The  next  summer, 
this  new  Colony  received  an  accession  of  above  three 
hundred  planters  more,  and  with  them,  two  eminent  di- 
vines, Mr.  Francis  Higginson  and  Samuel  Skelton.     Soon 


after  their  arrival,  that  is,  on  the  6th  of  August,  the  per- 
sons proposing  to  unite  in  church  relation,  gave  their 
public  assent  to  a  confession  of  faith,  and  then  solemnly 
convenanted  with  God  and  each  other,  to  walk  in  the  or- 
dinances of  Christ.  Messrs.  Higginson  and  Skelton 
were  then  set  apart  as  ministers  of  said  church,  the  former 
as  teacher,  the  latter  as  pastor,  at  which  solemnity  the 
church  at  Plymouth  assisted  by  their  delegate.  This  was 
the  first  church  fully  organized  in  New  England;  that 
at  Plymouth,  the  only  one  of  an  earlier  date,  had  not  a 
regular  pastor  till  after  this.  On  the  30th  of  July,  1636, 
Governor  Winthrop,  Lieutenant  Governor  Dudley,  Mr. 
Johnson  and  Mr.  Wilson,  entered  into  a  formal  and  solemn 
covenant  of  faith  and  practice,  according  to  the  gospel  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  the  first  church  in  Charlestown, 
where  on  the  27th  of  August  following,  Mr.  Wilson  was 
ordained  pastor,  which  was  the  first  ordination  in  this 
state.  In  March,  1633,  John  Winthrop,  son  of  the  gov- 
ernor, with  twelve  men  began  a  plantation  at  what  is  now 
called  Ipswich,  the  next  year  a  church  was  formed,  and  in 
April,  the  people  being  without  a  minister,  the  governor 
walked  there  on  foot  from  Boston,  spent  the  sabbath  and 
exercised  himself  by  way  of  Prophesying^  that  is  in  public 
teaching  and  exhortation.  In  1634,  Nathaniel  Ward,  from 
England,  became  their  minister,  and  on  the  20th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1639,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Rogers  was  settled  in  the  same 
place  as  colleague  with  Mr.  Norton,  who  succeeded  Mr. 
Ward,  and  it  was  this  last  circumstance  which  led  to  the 
settlement  of  Rowley,  of  which  this  town  formerly  consti- 
tuted a  part ;  for  when  Mr.  Ezekiel  Rogers,  with  about 
sixty  industrious  families  came  from  Yorkshire,  in  England, 
to  this  country,  he  was  influenced  in  his  choice  of  a  place 
of  settlement,  by  a  desire  of  being  near  and  enjoying  the 
company  of  Nathaniel  Rogers,  who  we  have  mentioned 
as  settled  in  Ipswich.  Mr.  Rogers  arrived  in  this  coun- 
try in  the  fall  of  1628.  He  called  the  place  of  his  settle- 
ment Rowley,  after  the  place  where  he  had  formerly 
served  in  the  gospel  of  Christ.     As  many  of  your  ances- 


tors  sat  under  his  ministry,  you  will  feel  a  .special  interest 
in  him  when  you  attend  to  a  short  account  of  his  life.  He 
was  a  man  of  considerable  note,  as  is  evident  from  his 
preaching  the  election  sermon  in  1643,  only  about  four 
years  after  his  arrival.  He  was  abundant  in  his  labours, 
and  for  several  of  the  first  years  of  his  ministry  enjoyed 
much  peace  and  comfort  with  his  people,  saw  the  work  of 
God  flourish  and  grow  among  them.  But  after  the  settle- 
ment of  a  colleague,  which  happened  about  ten  or  twelve 
years  after  his  arrival  in  this  countr}',  and  which  seemed  to 
be  necessary  from  the  numerous  calls  he  had  to  attend  to, 
there  arose  jealousies  and  contentions  among  his  people, 
which  rendered  the  remainder  of  his  life  unhappy.  He 
experienced  also  domestic  affliction,  buried  two  wives,  all 
his  children,  and  had  his  house  and  most  of  his  papers 
burned  on  the  night  following  his  third  marriage.  Tliis 
last  circumstance  renders  our  information  concerning  the 
early  history  of  this  town  less  perfect  than  it  would  other- 
wise have  been.  He  lost  also  the  use  of  his  right  arm  by 
a  fall  from  his  horse,  and  was  obliged,  late  in  life,  to  learn 
to  write  withdiis  left  hand.  But  he  seems,  through  the 
grace  of  God,  to  have  been  generally  patient  and  submis- 
sive under  these  manifold  tribulations,  and  to  adopt  what 
I  suppose  was  his  own  expression  on  the  subject,  '  to  have 
believed  and  expected  after  having  made  the  voyage  of  this 
life  over  a  troubled  sea,  he  should  reach  the  haven  of  ever- 
lasting rest.'  His  last  sickness  was  of  a  lingering  nature, 
which  he  bore  with  christian  patience,  and  died  January 
22, 1668,  aged  79.  He  left  his  property,  which  was  consid- 
erable, to  the  town  of  Rowley,  for  the  support  of  the  gos- 
pel. His  will,  which  I  have  seen,  is  still  in  good  preser- 
vation.* 

Many  of  the  inhabitants  who  came  with  Mr.  Rogers, 
were  weavers ;  and  soon  after  their  arrival  in  this  country 
they  set  up  a  fulling  mill,  employed  their  children  in  spin- 

*  A  part  of  this  property,  in  consequence  of  the  towns  not  having  com- 
plied with  a  condition  contained  in  the  Will,  has  fallen  to  Harvard  UoUeye. 


6 

ning  cotton,  and  were  the  first  who  manufactured  cloth  in 
North  America. 

Just  at  what  time  this  part  of  the  town  was  settled  I 
have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  It  was  not  however  long 
after  the  first  settlement  in  Rowley,  and  as  it  appears  by 
some  of  the  younger  families  who  came  to  that  place. 
The  first  house  built  in  the  town,  was  on  the  north  of  the 
road  leading  to  Haverhill,  and  about  40  rods  above  Mr. 
Francis  Kimball's,  where  the  cellar  may  yet  be  seen.  It 
was  owned  by  a  Mr.  Jackson,  whose  christian  name  was 
probably  William. 

Tlie  first  meeting  for  town  affairs  on  record,  was  held 
the  20th  of  February,  1668.  The  name  then  given  to 
this  town  was  Merrimack.  It  was  afterwards  called  Row- 
ley Village.  At  a  meeting  held  January  7,  1672,  the  vote 
passed  to  call  the  town  Bradford,  and  the  town  was  incor- 
porated by  this  name  in  1673.  But  though  as  we  have 
said  the  first  meeting  on  record  was  in  1668,  it  does  not 
appear  that  this  was,  by  any  means,  tho  first  time  the  peo- 
ple on  this  river,  met  by  themselves  in  town  affairs,  for  at 
that  time  they  had  a  meeting  house  erected  and  also  a 
parsonage.  Many  circumstances  render  it  probable  that 
almost  from  the  first  settlement,  though  connected  with 
Rowley,  and  acting  with  them  in  many  common  concerns, 
yet  living  at  such  a  distance,  they  held  town  meetings, 
among  themselves,  chose  their  own  officers,  and  managed 
all  those  concerns  which  did  not  interfere  with  the  in- 
terest of  the  other  settlement  in  town,  according  to  their 
own  discretion.  And  among  the  circumstances  which 
renders  this  opinion  plausible,,  is  that  Bradford  and  Box- 
ford,  though  making  but  one  town  with  Rowley,  were 
not  within  the  first  patent  granted  to  Mr.  Rogers,  but 
were  the  next  year  granted  to  him  and  to  Mr.  John  Phil- 
lips, at  the  very  earnest  requestof  Mr.  Rogers. 

Bradford  is  about  8  miles  long  and  3  wide,  and  contains 
about  10,000  acres,  and  1650  inhabitants. 

The   soil  is   generally  good  and   sufficiently  various  for 


the  cultivation  of  most  productions  common  to  this  lati- 
tude. The  town  is  bounded  on  one  side  its  whole  length 
by  the  Merrimack,  a  most  beautiful  river,  whose  waters 
afford  considerable  quantities  of  salmon,  shad,  bass,  stur- 
geon, ale  wives  and  a  variety  of  other  fish.  And  in  the 
spring  there  is  a  vast  number  of  seines  employed  in  taking 
these  inhabitants  of  the  flood.  The  salmon  caught  here 
are  esteemed  the  best  of  any  taken  in  the  waters  of  the 
northern  states,  and  often  fetch  from  75  to  100  cents  a 
pound  in  the  market  at  Boston.  The  quantity  of  fish  is  at 
present  much  less  than  formerly.  To  an  admirer  of  the 
works  and  ways  of  God,  hardly  any  thing  can  be  more  in- 
teresting than  what  is  called  the  run  of  eels  in  this  river. 
This  generally  takes  place  between  the  two  run  of  shad. 
They  go  up  the  river  the  beginning  of  May,  in  a  ribband 
or  stream  of  about  a  foot  wide  upon  the  average,  and  three 
or  four  inches  in  depth,  and  every  year  in  the  same  course. 
They  are  from  two  to  six  inches  in  length,  move  with  con- 
siderable velocity,  and  continue  to  pass  along  without 
interruption  for  about  four  days  ;  almost  an  inconceivable 
number  must  pass  during  this  time  ;  they  are  from  the  salt 
water,  but  how  far  they  go  up  or  what  becomes  of  them 
I  have  not  yet  learned. 

And  now  when  upon  the  subject  of  the  river,  I  think 
it  proper  to  observe,  that  though  in  various  ways  this 
town  in  common  with  others  upon  its  brinks,  derive  great 
advantages  from  this  noble  stream,  it  is  obvious  to  any 
person  Avho  will  take  the  trouble  to  reflect  upon  the  sub- 
ject, that  these  advantages  are  much  less  than  they  might, 
indeed  ought  to  be.  I  will  mention  among  other  things, 
that  while  there  is  not  probably  a  more  convenient  place 
in  the  county  of  Essex  for  the  lumber  trade,  nor  one  where, 
from  local  circumstances  enterprise  and  industry  in  that 
business,  would  with  more  certainty  be  crowned  with  suc- 
cess than  is  afforded  upon  its  banks  in  this  parish  ;  yet  it 
is  a  fact,  that  for  the  want  of  such  an  establishment,  the 
people,  even   in    this   town,  to   say  nothing   of  Boxford, 


8 

Rowley,  West  Newbury,  Andover,  &c.  are  often  put  to 
inconvenience  for  articles  of  this  description.  And  the 
same  observation  may  be  extended  to  the  heavy  articles 
of  foreign  merchandize,  such  as  salt,  molasses,  sugar,  iron, 
«&c.  It  would  be  easy  to  refer  to  other  particulars.  But 
it  is  hoped  this  observation  will  draw  the  attention  of  some 
enterprising  person  of  our  town,  or  of  some  other  place, 
to  the  subject. 

The  principal  business  done  in  this  town,  for  many 
years  after  its  settlement,  was  the  cultivation  of  the  land. 
And  from  the  productive  nature  of  the  soil,  the  inhabi- 
tants had  much  encouragement  to  do  this.  Many  of  them 
set  out  large  orchards,  some  of  the  trees  in  which  grew 
to  a  great  size.  Several  are  spoken  of  and  remembered, 
which  in  bearing  years,  yielded  apples  from  which  six  and 
seven  barrels  of  cider  were  made,  and  a  few  from  eight  to 
ten  barrels.  One  of  the  largest  of  these  was  on  land  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Jonathan  Balch,  a  grandson  of  the  first 
pastor  of  this  church,  by  whom  cider  of  a  very  superior 
quality  was  made,  familiarly  called  Arminian  Cider,  and 
which  for  many  years  bore  the  highest  price  in  market  of 
any  made  in  the  state.  Formerly  there  were  considerable 
quantities  of  peaches  and  plumbs  produced  in  this  town, 
but  for  several  years  past,  trees  of  this  description  have 
not  flonrished.  There  is  however  at  present  an  apparent 
change  for  the  better,  and  the  present  appearance  is,  that 
persons  may  now  cultivate  these  trees  with  the  hope  of 
enjoying  the  fruit  of  them. 

There  was  a  time  between  the  years  1700  and  1790, 
when  less  attention  was  paid  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit, 
than  the  real  interest  of  the  town  required,  the  stately 
trees  which  the  fathers  had  planted,  yield  in  great  abun- 
dance, and  the  inhabitants  seem  hardly  to  have  thought 
these  could  ever  fail,  and  were  therefore  less  careful  to 
provide  for  those  that  should  come  after  them,  than  their 
fathers  had  been  before.  At  the  present  there  is  an  in- 
creased attention  to  this  subject,  several  very  fine  young 
orchards  of  engrafted  fruit  now  ornament  our  town. 


9 

The  winter  pear,  formerly  called  the  Warden  pear,  was 

introduced    into    this   town    by   Mr. Wooster, 

brother  to  Francis  Wooster,  grandfather  of  Samuel  Wor- 
cester, D.  D.  of  Salem,  a  man  who  from  his  singular  in- 
genuity, was  familiarly  called  doctor.  But  whether  he 
cultivated  this  pear  from  the  Dummer  trees  in  Byfield,  or 
imported  it,  cannot  be  certainly  ascertained,  though  the 
last  is  the  most  probable. 

Trade  and  Manufactories.  The  first  store  of  any  con- 
siderable importance  in  this  town  was  opened  by  Moses 
Parker,  Esq.  who  for  many  years  did  business  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  and  whose  store,  it  is  said,  was  furnished 
with  a  very  great  variety  of  merchandize.  There  are 
now  about  seven  or  eight  stores  of  greater  or  less  extent 
in  which  ma}^  be  had  most  of  the  articles  required  in  com- 
mon life,  and  upon  as  good  terms  as  in  any  other  place 
in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Ship  building  has  been  and  would  still  be,  were  it  not 
for  the  present  depressed  state  of  commerce,  a  very  im- 
portant branch  of  business  here  ;  ships  of  rising  four  hun- 
dred tons  may  be  safely  launched.  And  with  what  is 
publicly  known  on  the  subject,  it  will  not  appear  a  matter 
of  boasting,  to  say,  our  ship  carpenters  are  well  taught 
and  skilful  mechanics.  The  business  was  commenced  by 
Mr.  John  Atwood,  from  Boston,  in  1720. 

The  manufactory  of  leather  is  carried  on  to  considerable 
extent,  five  tan  yards  are  now  in  full  operation.  This  bus- 
iness was  first  commenced  by  Shubel  Walker,  in  the  upper 
parish,  in  the  early  settlement  of  this  town,  but  is  now 
almost  entirely  confined  to  the  east  parish. 

Large  quantities  of  shoes  are  manufactured  here,  and 
sent  to  the  southern  and  middle  states,  the  West  Indies, 
&c.  About  150  men  are  constantly  employed  in  this  busi- 
ness, beside  many  who  employ  the  winter  in  it,  who  it  is 
supposed  make  50,000  pairs  of  shoes  and  boots  yearly. 
This  business  as  a  trade,  furnishing  shoes  for  market,  was 
commenced  by  Daniel  Hardy,  now  of  Pelham,  about  sixty 


10 

years  since,  who  used  to  send  his  shoes  to  Portsmouth. 
He  was  followed  by  Thomas  Savory,  Esq.  and  Nathaniel 
Mitchell,  who  carried  on  the  business  extensively,  sending 
their  shoes  to  the  southern  states,  and  to  the  West  Indies. 
About  the  time  of  the  French  revolution,  Moses  Savory 
and  a  Mr.  Gage,  went  in  the  same  business,  from  which 
time  it  has  been  one  of  the  most  important  articles  in  the 
business  of  this  town. 

In  1798,  William  Tenny,  Jr.  commenced  chaise  mak- 
ing, since  which  time  considerable  has  been  done  at  that 
business,  and  is  now  doing,  and  perhaps  never  by  more 
skilful  and  industrious  mechanics  than  at  present. 

Thomas  Carlton,  about  the  year  1760,  set  up  a  fulling 
mill  on  Johnson's  creek,  above  Aaron  Parker's  upper  mill 
where  he  carried  on  the  dressing  of  cloth.  In  this  fac- 
tory Mr.  Benjamin  Morse  partly  learned  the  trade,  who 
in  connection  with  his  sons,  has  for  many  years,  and  to  a 
considerable  extent,  carried  on  the  business,  and  in  a  man- 
ner creditable  to  themselves  and  much  to  the  public  satis- 
faction. 

A  small  quantity  of  chocolate,  was  about  thirty  years 
since,  manufactured  by  Jesse  Atwood. 

Brass  and  pewter  buckles  and  sleigh  bells,  were  to  a 
considerable  amount  made  here  by  Stephen  Foster,  and 
others  for  some  years  before  and  after  the  revolution. 
Nothing  however  is  done  at  this  business  now. 

Coopering  business  has  been  carried  on  in  this  town  at 
different  times  to  a  gi  eater  or  less  extent,  very  little  how- 
ever has  been  done  at  it  for  some  years.  This  business 
is  about  to  be  revived  by  Jotham  Hunt,  who  is  making 
preparations  for  that  purpose.  During  the  revolutionary 
war,  salt  petre  was  made  in  this  place  by  Deacon  Samuel 
Tenny. 

In  1800,  was  commenced  the  manufactory  of  Straw 
Bonnets,  which  is  now  carried  on  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent in  this  town,  and  much  to  the  advantage  of  those 
who  are  employed  in  it. 


11 

A  considerable  quantity  of  Tobacco  is  manufactured  in 
this  town.  This  business  was  commenced  in  1770,  by 
Moses  Parker,  Esq.  a  man  excelled  by  few  in  real  mechan- 
ical powers  of  mind.  When  he  commenced  this  business, 
he  was  but  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  never  had 
enjoyed  but  one  opportunity  of  seeing  the  machinery  used 
in  this  work. 

Mines,  ^c. — I  have  not  learned  that  any  other  than 
iron  mine  has  been  known  to  exist  in  this  place,  of  this 
there  is  apparently  a  large  quantity  in  the  east  part  of 
the  town. 

Clay  of  different  qualities  is  found  in  many  parts  of  the 
town,  suitable  for  the  common  purposes  for  which  it  is 
used.  There  is  one  bed  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  of 
a  finer  quality,  which  I  have  reason  to  believe  might  be 
worked  to  advantage  in  making  the  finer  articles  of  the 
Potter. 

There  are  two  springs  in  the  east  parish,  one  on  the 
land  of  Thomas  Savory,  Esq.  the  other  on  that  of  Isaiah 
Jewitt,  the  waters  of  which  are  empregnated  with  iron, 
and  if  properly  improved  and  secured  from  other  water, 
might  no  doubt  be  used  to  advantage  by  persons  afflicted 
with  disorders  for  which  calybiate  waters  are  prescribed. 

It  being  the  opinion  of  some  who  professed  to  have 
knowledge  and  experience  on  the  subject,  that  there  was 
mineral  coal  and  lead  in  the  hill  between  the  east  meet- 
ing house  and  the  river,  an  attempt  was  made  to  ascer- 
tain the  fact  in  1808,  and  a  considerable  time  and  prop- 
erty expended,  but  without  success.  But  I  can  hardly 
suppose  any  one  acquainted  with  mining,  would  from  look- 
ing at  what  was  done,  consider  this  failure  as  any  very 
positive  evidence  that  there  is  none  there. 

Mills,  c^c. — Johnson's  creek  affords  the  greatest  and  in- 
deed the  only  considerable  means  for  water  works  in  this 
town,  and  it  has  been  considerably  improved  for  this  pur- 
pose, for  on  it  have  stood,  or  are  now  standing,  four  saw 
mills,  five  grist  mills,  three  fulling  mills,  two  bark  mills. 


12 

The  first  of  these  was  a  ji^rist  mill,  standing  below  the 
road  leading  from  Mr.  Daniel  Kimball's  to  deacon  Thomas 
Morse's,  and  was  set  up  by  Edward  Carlton,  the  first 
person  born  in  Rowley,  or  his  father,  probably  about 
the  year  1670.  This  mill  is  not  now  standing,  nor  is 
the  place  where  it  stood  occupied.  In  1780,  deacon  Phin- 
eas  Carlton,  built  a  mill  lower  down  the'  stream,  just  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  from  that  on  which  Mr. 
Aaron  Parker's  upper  mill  now  stands,  and  had  the  sluice 
dug  which  is  now  in  repair.  This  was  done,  by  job  for 
70  dollars,  by  Cuff  Dole,  a  person  of  color,  of  remark- 
able strength,  steady  habits,  and  who  died  in  the  com- 
fortable hope  of  a  blessed  immortalit3\ 

In  1750,  Joseph  Kimball  and  Eliphalet  Hard}',  set  up 
the  lower  mill  so  called,  and  as  it  was  a  work  of  con- 
siderable magnitude  to  build  the  damn,  and  the  mill  great- 
1}^  needed,  the  inhabitants  volunteered  their  services,  some 
men  only  of  common  property,  subscribing  and  afterwards 
performing  from  fifteen  to  twenty  days  labor. 

In  1790,  Retier  Parker  built  a  tanyard  near  the  low- 
er mill,  and  contrived  to  have  the  stone  with  which  the 
bark  is  ground,  moved  by  water  instead  of  horses,  as 
was  the  practice  at  that  time,  certainly  a  useful  improve- 
ment. 

All  these,  with  the  exception  of  a  part  of  the  lower 
mill,  have  become  the  property  of  Aaron  Parker,  Esq. 
a  man  of  ingenuity  and  enterprise,  who  has  improved 
them  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to  himself,  and  to 
the  advantage  and  convenience  of  the  public.  He  has 
also  attached  a  rolling  and  fulling  mill,  to  his  upper  grist 
mill,  and  has  a  bark  mill  running  with  such  perfection, 
that  it  will  grind  as  much  bark  in  two  hours,  as  could 
be  ground  in  a  whole  day  by  the  former  "mill,  though  as 
we  observed,  that  was  a  great  improvement  upon  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  the  day. 

In  1681,  this  town  received  proposals  from  Richard 
Whomes,   of   Rowley,    and  John   Perle,    of    Marblehead, 


13 

to  set  up  a  corn  mill  upon  this  creek,  a  little  above  the 
mill  built  by  the  first  Mr.  Carlton,  which  proposals  were 
well  received  by  the  town,  and  considerable  subscriptions 
were  made  to  forward  the  design,  upon  condition,  that 
said  Whomes  and  Perle  would  set  up  a  good  and  suffi- 
cient mill,  and  that  the  people  in  this  town  should  be 
served  in  their  turn,  in  preference  to  those  from  out  of 
town,  and  also  that  sufficient  passage  be  left  for  fish, 
which  conditions  were  agreed  to,  and  the  mill  accordingly 
set  up.     This  mill  is  not  standing  at  present. 

The  first  saw  mill  was  owned  by  the  Carlton  family, 
but  when  built  I  have  not  learned.  It  must  have  been 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  town.  It  stood  across  the 
road  above  the  place  of  the  first  grist  mill.  And  it  is  a 
fact  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  mud  sills  of  the  three 
first  mills  are  still  remaining,  and  can  be  seen,  though 
it  must  be  about  150  years,  perhaps  more,  since  they 
were  put  down. 

In  1784,  Mr.  Francis  Kimball  built  a  saw  mill,  and 
Mr.  Benjamin  Morse  a  fulling  mill  near  the  mouth  of 
the  creek,  the  latter  of  which  is  now  standing  and  in 
full  operation. 

Besides  these,  there  have  been  five  or  six  saw  mills 
in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and  one  grist  mill,  upon 
temporary  streams.  One  of  the  saw  mills  on  the  farm 
of   David  How,  has  recently  been  put  in  good  repair. 

I  shall  take  this  opportunity  to  observe,  that  though 
much  use  is  made  of  the  water  of  Johnson's  creek,  yet 
a  much  more  considerable  advantage  might  be  derived 
from  it.  Several  mills  more  might  with  pex'fect  conven- 
ience stand  upon  it.  The  convenience  of  the  public 
does  certainly  call  for  the  erection  of  a  carding  mill. 
Another  saw  mill  would  find  full  employ,  indeed  it  would 
be  easy  to  show  how  enterprising  individuals  might  get 
wealth,  and  the  community  be  better  served,  by  enlist- 
ing in  their  service,  the  force  of  this  water  which  God 
in  his  goodness  causes  to  flow  down  this  stream  for  the 
use  of  men. 


14 

Moads,  ^c.  The  first  committee  upon  record,  for  lay- 
ins^  out  highway  in  this  town,  were  sergeant  John  Gage, 
Joseph  Pike,  John  Griffin,  who  were  appointed  in  the 
year  1668.  How  far  these  persons  were  concerned  in 
laying  out  our  roads,  it  is  impossible  for  us  now  to  say. 
It  is  certain,  whoever  were  the  agents  in  this  business, 
they  committed  an  error  in  making  them  so  narrow  ; 
an  inconvenience  greatly  felt,  but  which  I  am  happy  to 
observe,  the  town  is  taking  measures,  as  far  as  may  be, 
to  remedy.  Several  have  already  been  widened  in  part, 
and  have  been  given  orders  for  the  widening  others. 
Though  this  measure  will  be  attended  with  considerable 
expense  and  labor,  it  will,  beyond  doubt,  be  ultimately 
found  a  measure  of  economy  as  well  as  beauty  and  con- 
venience. Our  roads,  though  narrow,  are,  in  general, 
well  made,  and  the  bridges  all  in  good  repair.  And  I 
cannot  but  think  that  a  stranger  passing  through  this 
town,  will  from  the  state  of  the  roads,  the  good  order 
in  our  public  houses,  the  appearance  of  our  fields,  and 
the  beauty  of  the  river,  find  as  much  to  entertain  the 
mind  and  please  their  fancy,  as  in  most  towns  in  this 
county. 

It  was  the  early  policy  of  this  town,  and  a  good  policy 
it  is,  to  restrain  cattle,  &c.  In  order  to  carry  this  reg- 
ulation into  effect,  as  well  as  for  other  obvious  pur- 
poses, they  voted  the  5th  of  January,  1685,  to  build  a 
pound,  with  gate,  lock  and  key,  to  be  set  up  the  next 
spring,  on  such  part  of  the  meeting-house  land,  as  the 
selectmen  should  judge  most  convenient,  which  order 
was  carried  into  effect.  The  present  pound  occupies  a 
different  place,  and  was  built  after  the  west  parish  built 
their  present  meeting. house,  who  seem,  for  some  reason 
unknown  to  me,  to  have  had  the  expense  of  this  to 
defray. 

At  the  same  meeting  in  which  the  vote  passed  to  call 
this  town  Bradford,  instructions  were  given  to  the  se- 
lectmen,   to    provide    a    burying-ground,  who,  it    seems, 


15 

were    furnished    with    the    land    now  improved  for    that 

purpose,  in    the    west   parish,  by   the   liberahty  of   John 

Haseltine,    Jr.    of    Haverhill^   upon    condition   the   town 

would  keep  it  fenced,  which  condition  was  however,  the 

same  year  given  up  by  his  son  Samuel,  of  Bradford  ;  so 

the  town  now  holds  it  without  condition. 

The  burying  ground  in    this   part    of   the    town,  is    a 

present  to  the  parish,  from  Mr.  Samuel   Jewitt,  and  the 

first  person  buried  there  was  Mrs.  Martha  Hale,  in  1723. 

As  we    learn    from  the    inscription  on    the  stone    at  the 

foot, 

If  you  will  look,  it  may  appear 

She  was  the  first  that  was  buried  here. 

jSchools,  ^c. — There  is  much  reason  to  suppose,  this 
town  was  furnished  with  schools  in  part,  at  the  public 
expense,  and  that  the  provision  for  these,  was  among 
the  "  prudentials  "  intrusted  to  the  selectmen,  from  the 
earliest  date.  There  is  however,  no  vote  of  the  town 
recorded  on  this  subject,  till  the  year  1701,  when  it  was 
voted,  the  selectmen  should  provide  a  school,  according 
to  their  discretion,  and  that  they  should  assess  the  town 
for  the  expense  of  the  same.  The  next  year  it  was 
voted  that  those  who  sent  to  school,  should  pay  two  pence 
a  week  for  those  that  learned  to  read,  and  four  pence 
for  those  that  learned  to  write,  the  additional  expense 
to  be  paid  by  the  town.  The  person's  name  who  kept, 
was  Ichabods,  the  next  whose  name  is  mentioned,  was 
Master  White,  who  commenced  in  1723,  and  received 
24Z.  10s.  a  year.  His  successor  was  Hobej^,  who  was 
followed  by  a  Mr.  Merrel.  All  these  persons  kept 
through  the  year,  and  most  of  them  for  several  years 
each,  and  as  far  as  we  can  judge,  were  well  qualified  for 
the  business. 

The  first  school-house  was  built  on  the  meeting-house 
land,  22  feet  long,  18  feet  wide  and  7  feet  posts,  and 
cost  25Z.  The  building  committee,  were  Jonathan  Wood- 
man, sergeant  Robert  Haseltine    and   Nathaniel  Walker. 


16 

There  are  at  present  seven  school-houses  in  six  districts, 
in  which  are  kept  twenty  four  months  of  man's  school 
annually,  and  in  summer  tl:kere  is  good  provision  made 
for  the  instruction  of  small  children. 

In  June  7,  1805,  the  town  accepted  a  report  made 
by  their  committee  appointed  for  that  purpose,  consist- 
ing of  Moses  Parker,  Daniel  Stickney,  Bradstreet  Par- 
ker, Tliomas  Savory,  Esq.  and  Samuel  Tenny,  for  the 
better  manao-ement  of  the  town  school.  The  regulations 
recommended  in  this  report,  have,  by  experiment,  been 
found  good  and  usefid;  and  under  the  advantages  now 
afforded  the  children  and  youth,  fdr  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge,  competent  to  the  common  concerns  of  life, 
they  are  certainly  making  very  encouraging  progress. 
And  I  do  not  think  I  am  influenced  by  prejudice,  or 
judge  without  some  knowledge  on  the  subject  when  I 
say  that  I  have  never  known  children  in  common  life, 
so  forward  in  learning,  as  those  in  the  districts  which 
come  under  my  immediate  inspection.  And  as  the  reg- 
ulations through  town,  are  the  same,  it  is  presumed  the 
same  observation  may  be  extended  to  all. 

It  would  be  an  additional  improvement,  both  in  re- 
gard to  economy  and  the  advancement  of  our  children, 
were  the  committee  empowered  to  prescribe  in  all  cases, 
the  books  which  should  be  used.  And  there  can  be  but 
little  doubt,  but  the  same  observation  would  hold  true 
in  regard  to  the  towns  furuisliing  the  necessary  station- 
ary to  be  used  in  schools. 

The  greatest  inconvenience,  we  experience,  is  the  un- 
equal division  of  the  school  districts,  an  evil  which  I 
do  not  know  can  well  be  remedied;  but  being  an  evil 
which  all  now  feel,  will  I  hope,  teach  all  that  in  the 
course  of  years,  individuals  can  be  benefitted  in  no  surer 
way,  than  by  consulting  the  general  good. 

Beside  these  public  schools,  there  is  an  academy  in 
the  west  parish,  founded  in  1803,  and  chiefly  supported 
by  inhabitants  living    in    that   part    of   the  town.     This 


17 

institution  has,  for  several  years  past,  enjoyed  a  large 
share  of  public  patronage,  the  best  evidence  we  can  have 
of  its  being  esteemed,  by  those  who  have  no  motives 
for  partiality,  a  good  institution.  God  has  also  sent  his 
blessings  upon  it.  Several  considerable  revivals  of  reli- 
gion have  taken  place  there  among  the  students,  and 
man}'-,  who  came  in  pursuit  of  human  science,  have  there 
learned  that  fear  of  the  Lord,  which  is  the  beginning 
of  wisdom,  and  acquired  that  good  understanding,  which 
all  have  who  keep  his  commandments.  Near  2500  youth 
have  received  instruction  within  its  walls  ;  numbers  of 
whom  have  performed  or  are  now  performing  parts  in 
the  theatre  of  life,  honorable  to  themselves,  and  useful 
to  the  world.  Among  whom,  you  will  not  expect,  I 
should  fail  to  name,  Mrs.  Harriet  Newell,  who  in  life, 
took  a  part  in  carrying  the  gospel  to  a  land  shadowing 
in  darkness,  and  whose  writings,  published  since  her 
death,  have  been  the  happy  instrument  of  exciting  the 
attention  of  many,  to  the  obligations  they  owe  to  the 
heathen  world. 

This  academy  is  under  the  direction  of  eleven  trus- 
tees, viz: — Rev.  Jonathan  Allen,  A.  M.  Pres.  Rev.  Isaac 
Bramau,  Col.  James  Kimball,  Mr.  Edward  Kimball, 
Joseph  Chadwick,  Esq.  Rev.  Joshua  Dodge,  Dea.  John 
Hasseltine,  Mr.  Moses  Kimball,  Hon.  John  Varnum, 
Rev.  Gardner  B.  Perry,  Mr.  William  Tenny,  and  has 
funds  to  the  amount  of  about  two  thousand  dollars. 

Since  its  foundation,  the  following  persons  have  held 
the  place  of  principal  instructors  in  the  two  apartments. 
Rev.  Samuel  Walker,  Rev.  Samuel  Guile,  Rev.  Abra- 
ham Burnham,  Samuel  Morrell,  Samuel  Peabody,  Dan- 
iel Hardy,  Luther  Baily,  Hon.  Samuel  Adams,  Richard 
Kimball,  Rev.  Ebenezer  P.  Sperry,  Nathaniel  Dike,  Jo- 
seph Noyes,  and  Benjamin  Greenleaf  the  present  pre- 
ceptor. 

In  the  female  apartment.  Miss  Hannah  Swan,  Mary 
Boardman,    Harriet    Webster,    Betsey   Allen,    Charlotte 


18 

Gage,  Abigail  C.  Hasseltine,  the  present  precep- 
tress.* 

There  are  two  libraries  in  this  town,  in  which  there 
is  a  respectable  number  of  well  chosen  books,  besides 
several  little  collections  owned  by  small  associations. 

The  Washington  Benevolent  Society,  is  an  institution 
now  exclusively  devoted  to  literary  improvement,  and 
the  business  is  conducted,  as  I  have  much  reason  to 
suppose,  in  a  manner  highly  useful  to  the  members. 
And  I  must  say  with  its  present  cast,  it  is  highly  de- 
sirable, that  the  young  men  should  more  generally  be- 
come members  of  it.  It  is  by  no  means  designed,  and 
it  is  far  from  being  desirable,  that  it  should  be  confined 
to  one  part  of  the  town,  though  hitherto  most  of  its 
members  have  been  of  this  parish.  And  I  cannot  but 
think,  that  the  young  men,  who  do  not  avail  them- 
selves of  the  advantages  of  this  or  some  similar  institu- 
tion, will,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  find  themselves 
considerably  behind  those  in  real  information,  who  every 
month  assemble  for  improvement  in  useful  knowledge. 

The  following  persons  have  received  a  public  educa- 
tion— 

T'ears.                Names.  Colleges.     Residence. 

1698  Rev.  Thomas  Symmns,  A.  M.  Harvard,    Bradford,          dee. 

1736.  Rev,  Samuel  Webster,  S.  T.  D.  Harvard,    Salisbury,  Ms.  dec. 

1774.  Rev.  Benj.  Thurston,  A.  M.  Harvard,  Exeter,  N.  H.  dec, 
1782.  Benj.  Parker,  A  M.M.D.M.M.S.Soc.  Harvard,    Bradford, 

1789.  Daniel  Hardy,  Jr.  A.  M.  I>artmoutk,Ve\\idim.  N.  H, 

1790   Samuel  Walker,  Esq.  Harvard,    Rutland,  Vt. 

1794.  Aaron  Hardy,  A.  M.  Darlmout/i,}ioston,               dec. 

1800  John  Dutch,  Dartmouth ,^x^MmA, 

1800.  Rev    Daniel  Kimball,  A.  M.  Harvard,    Hingham,  Ms. 

1803    Rev.  David  T.  Kimball,  A.  M.  Harvard,    Ipswich,  Ms. 

1804.  Leonard  Kimball,  A.  M.  Harvard,    Baltimore, 

18(»8  Nathaniel  K   Hardy,  Z>«r/'wo«^//, Pern  broke,        dec. 

1808.  Frederic  Muzzy,  Esq.  Columbia,    N.  York  City,  dec. 

1810.  Richard  Kimball,  A.  M.  Z>«r/;;;o«^//, Ipswich,  Ms. 

1812.  Geori^e  Parker,  A.  M.  Harvard,    Southward, 

J815.  Rev.  Alonzo  Phillips,  A.  M.  il//V/rf/e^«rj', Princeton,  Ms. 

1815.  Rev.  David  Tenny,  A   M.  Harvard,    Missionary,       dec. 

1820.  James  Kimball,  Jr.  Middlebnry ,kx)do^ev, 

1821.  Stephen  Morse,  Z>rtr/wo«//i,Bradford. 

*  It  may  not  be  improper  to  notice,  that  since  t)iis  discourse  was  writ- 
ten, a  building  has  been  erected  in  the  east  parish,  designed  among  other 
useful  purposes,  for  an  academy,  in  which  it  is  hoped  to  afford  youth,  who 
may  resort  here,  the  common  advantages  of  such  institutions. 


19 

Title  to  the  Soil,  ^c. — So  far  as  the  government  of 
the  colony  was  concerned,  we  have  already  seen,  that 
our  ancestors  became  in  rightful  possession  of  the  land, 
in  virtue  of  the  patent  granted  to  Mr.  Rogers.  And 
the  settlement  was  made  according  to  the  acknowledge- 
ment of  his  descendants,  with  the  full  "  knowledge,  li- 
cense and  liking "  of  *Maschonomontic,  alias  Masjhon- 
nomit,  the  chief  Sagamore  and  native  proprietor  of  all 
the  land  between  the  Merrimack  and  Naumkeag  or  Bass 
rivers.  But  there  was  no  actual  purchase  of  the  land 
from  him.  In  consequence  of  this,  his  descendants  and 
heirs,  Samuel  English  and  Joseph  English,  grand-chil- 
dren, and  John  Umpee,  his  nephew,  set  up  a  claim  to 
the  soil  in  1700,  which  claim  was  allowed  by  the  town, 
and  a  committee  consisting  of  John  Tenny,  Joseph,  Bai- 
le}'',  Richard  Kimball,  Sen.  Phillip  Atwood  and  John 
Boynton,  was  chosen  the  23d  of  November  that  year, 
to  treat  with  these  persons,  and  purchase  the  land  at 
the  town's  expense.  This  they  did  for  the  sum  of  6Z. 
10  shillings,  and  took  a  deed  for  the  land,  signed  by 
these  three  persons,  dated  13th  January  1701.  Samuel 
English  putting  down  for  his  mark,  the  sign  of  a  ser- 
pent, Joseph  English,  that  of  a  bow  and  arrow,  and 
John  Umpee,  that  of  a  new  moon. 

Those  therefore,  who  now  possess  landed  property 
here,  may  comfort  themselves  with  the  reflection,  that 
so  far  as  the  original  possessors  are  concerned,  they  have 
a  just  title  to  it,  a  reflection  which  must  yield  no  small 
satisfaction  to  those  who  wish  to  do  justly  by  all.  In 
consequence  as  it  is  presumed,  of  tlie  wise  and  equita- 
ble dealings  of  the  first  settlers,  and  their  immediate  de- 
scendants, with  the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  next  to  the 
restraining  influence  of  God's  spirit,  the  people  in  this 
town  were  never  much  molested  by  them.     I  have  found 

*  Maschonnomit,  or  as  it  is  spelt  in  some  other  records,  Maschanomet, 
was  one  of  the  five  Sagamores,  who  in  1643,  signed  an  inscrument  by 
which  they  put  themselves  and  people  under  the  government  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Colony. 


20 

but  one  record  of  any  violence  experienced  from  them. 
This  is  contained  in  a  note  attached  to  one  of  the  town 
books,  by  Shubel  Walker,  who  was  then  town  clerk,  a 
man  admirably  fitted  for  that  office,  being  a  very  fine 
writer,  and  very  accurate  in  the  duties  of  his  office  ;  he 
served  the  town  several  years.  He  observes  in  this  note, 
that  Thomas  Kimball,  was  shot  by  an  Indian,  the  3d 
of  May,  1676,  and  his  wife  and  five  children,  Joannah, 
Thomas,  Joseph,  Prescilla  and  John,  were  carried  cap- 
tive. These  however,  he  observes  in  another  note,  re- 
turned home  again  the  13th  of  June  the  same  year. 
Mr.  Kimball's  house  stood  on  the  road  leading  to  Box- 
ford,  between  Mr.  Nathaniel  Woodman's  and  Mr.  Pea- 
body's,  about  twenty  rods  towards  Boxford,  where  the 
well  and  cellar  still  remain.  It  is  traditionally  reported, 
that  the  Indians,  who  committed  this  violence,  set  out 
from  their  homes,  near  Dracutt,  with  the  intention  of 
killing  some  one  in  Rowley,  who  they  supposed  had  in- 
jured them,  but  finding  the  night  too  far  spent,  they 
did  not  dare  to  proceed  further,  and  so  avenged  them- 
selves on  Mr.  Kimball,  for  an  injury  another  man  had 
done  them.  There  was  also  a  Mr.  Nehemiah  Carlton, 
shot  from  across  the  river,  at  the  time  of  the  attack 
upon  Haverhill.  And  it  is  said  farther,  that  one  of  the 
workmen  employed  in  felling  timber  on  the  Haverhill 
side  of  the  river,  for  building  the  house  now  owned  by 
Reuben  Carlton,  was  also  shot.  Beside  these  I  have 
heard  of  no  particular  injury  received  from  tliem.  There 
must,  have  been  a  considerable  settlement  of  Indians  in 
tliis  town,  as  is  evident  from  the  number  of  bones  found 
in  and  about  the  hill  near  Paul  Parker's.  The  last  of 
these  who  resided  here,  was  Papahana,  who  lived  to  a 
great  age,  in  a  hut  near  the  mouth  of  Johnson's  creek ; 
the  people  of  the  last  generation,  knew  him  well.  The 
name  of  tlie  tribe  to  which  this  settlement  belonged,  is 
not  certainly  known,  but  is  supposed  to  be  the  Paw- 
tucet. 


21 

There  were  three  garrison  houses  built  at  an  early 
period  in  this  town,  one  of  brick  at  the  west  end  of 
the  town,  near  the  place  where  Mr.  John  Day's  house 
now  stands.  One  where  the  parsonage  was  afterwards 
built,  opposite  the  burying-ground,  in  the  west  parish. 
The  third  where  widow  Rebecca  Foster's  house  is ; 
this  was  palisaded.  The  inhabitants  of  the  town,  often 
passed  the  night  in  these  houses,  when  from  any  cir- 
cumstance they  apprehended  danger  from  the  savages. 
There  was  also  a  block  house  on  the  neck  so  called, 
near  the  falls,  in  which,  during  times  of  danger,  the  in- 
habitants watched  b}^  turns. 

Town  Officers. — One  thing  which  contributes  greatly 
to  the  respectability,  the  moral  habits,  and  indeed  to 
the  prosperit}^  of  a  town,  is  the  appointment  of  suita- 
ble men  to  transact  its  public  concerns.  And  I  am 
happy  to  observe,  that  the  records  of  this  town,  carry 
with  them  strong  internal  evidence,  that  such  has  been 
the  character  of  a  very  great  proportion  of  the  men, 
who  have,  at  different  periods,  had  the  conducting  of 
its  affairs.  In  the  early  settlement  of  the  town,  the  se- 
lectmen appeared  to  have  been  considered  the  fathers  of 
the  town ;  and  accordingly  were  from  j^ear  to  year,  for 
a  great  period,  empowered  by  the  town,  to  manage  all  its 
"prudential  affairs  according  to  the  best  of  their  discretion." 
And  if  any  opinion  can  be  gathered  from  the  town  rec- 
ords, they  merited  the  confidence  placed  in  them.  I  do 
not  find  an  instance,  in  which  there  is  the  least  evi- 
dence of  any  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  the  town,  for 
what  they  did,  unless  the  raising  a  school  committee  in 
the   year  to    manage    the    concerns   of  the    schools, 

which  had,  before  this,  been  left  with  the  selectmen, 
was  such.  The  first  who  served  in  this  office,  were  ser- 
geant John  Gage,  Robert  Hasseltine,  Joseph  Pike,  John 
Griffin,  John  Tenny.  Agreeable  to  the  discretionary 
power  entrusted  to  the  selectmen,  we  find  them  giving 
directions  concerning  the  height  of  fences,  &c.,  things 
now  regulated  by  law, 


22 

And  as  I  perhaps  shall  not  find  a  more  convenient 
place,  I  will  observe  here,  that  Thomas  Kimball  was  at 
the  first  meeting  in  this  town,  chosen  constable,  Samuel 
Wooster,  Benjamin  Gage,  Benjamin  Kimball,  David 
Hasseltine,  overseers,  Joseph  Pike,  clerk.  And  at  the 
same  meeting,  it  was  voted,  that  the  houses  of  Benja- 
min Gage  and  Thomas  Kimball,  "  shoald  be  legal  places 
for  posting  up  any  order  or  other  business  of  public  con- 
cernment to  the  whole  town."  And  this  remained  the 
order  of  the  town,  for  any  thing  that  appears,  with  the 
exception  of  one  year,  when  the  meeting-house  was 
made  the  place  for  such  notifications,  till  the  division  of 
the  town  into  parishes.  I  mention  this  because  it  makes 
known  the  parts  of  the  town,  which  were  then  the 
places  of  most  resort  and  most  business.  And  also  as 
an  evidence  that  the  people  of  those  days,  thought  the 
setting  up  such  notifications  on  meeting-houses  to  be 
read  sabbath  days,  was  bringing  religious  and  secular 
things  too  much  together. 

In  1707,  the  town  voted  there  should  be  two  consta- 
bles instead  of  one,  as  before,  chosen  from  the  two  parts 
of  the  town,  and  that  the  twenty-five  shillings  that  had 
been  given  yearly  for  this  service,  should  be  divided  be- 
tween them.  This  is  the  first  act  of  the  town,  which 
looks  like  any  acknowledgement  of  a  claim  to  public 
notice,  from  local  circumstances,  and  was  the  commence- 
ment of  a  practice,  in  regard  to  town  offices,  which  has 
prevailed  to  the  present  time,  and  by  which  the  two 
parts  of  the  town  have  acted  together  with  a  great  de- 
gree of  harmony  and  good  feeling,  and  which  I  ear- 
nestly hope  they  will  ever  continue  to  do.  And  it  v/as 
this  measure  which  led  the  way  in  the  division  of  the 
town  into  parishes,  which  took  place  about  twenty  years 
after. 

Puhlie  Order. — There  are  few  circumstances  in  the 
lives  of  men,  better  calculated  to  give  a  correct  view  of 
their  character,  than  their  regard  to  public  order.     And 


23 

I  am  happy  to  find,  that  a  commendable  regard  to 
this,  is  evident  in  all  the  doings  of  this  town.  At  the 
first  meeting,  it  was  voted  "  that  whoever  did  not  ap- 
pear at  town  meeting,  at  the  time  set  for  such  meeting, 
should  pay  six  pence  for  every  hour  he  was  "defective," 
and  if  any  one  in  meeting  should  speak  without  leave 
obtained  from  the  moderator,  he  should  pay  the  same 
sura  for  every  "offence."  On  the  11th  of  January,  1Q68, 
"it  was  further  voted,  that  when  the  town  are  assem- 
bled in  town  meeting,  that  no  one  should  leave  the  house 
without  liberty  obtained,  under  the  penalty  of  twelve 
pence  per  hour,  and  that  no  act  passed  by  the  town 
after  sunset  shall  be  of  value." 

In  March  1699,  a  vote  was  passed  to  preserve  order 
in  the  meeting-house,  and  for  this  purpose  it  was  or- 
dered, that  seats  slionld  be  assessed  to  individuals,  and 
that  if  any  should  refuse  to  take  the  seat  assigned  him, 
after  proper  notice,  he  should  be  fined  five  shillings  for 
every  day  of  public  assembly,  from  which  vote  there 
were  but  two  dissenting  voices,  viz:  Joseph  and  Jacob 
Hardy.  In  1708,  when  the  new  meeting-house  was  to 
be  seated,  the  town  instructed  the  committee  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  to  place  the  men  above  60,  according 
to  their  age,  and  all  others  according  to  their  rates, 
having  no  respect  to  the  rates  of  sons  and  servants. 

In  1818,  a  vote  was  passed  unanimously  in  this  parish, 
recommending  to  all,  to  go  into  the  meeting-house  dur- 
ing the  tolling  of  the  bell  on  days  of  public  worship, 
and  also  to  make  as  little  noise  as  practicable  in  mov- 
ing the  falling  seats.  I  refer  to  this  as  an  evidence, 
that  the  people  retain  the  same  good  ideas  of  public 
order,  which  so  highly  recommends  the  first  settlers  in 
this  town,  and  to  remind  those  who  may  have  forgot- 
ten this  resolve,  that  it  stands  yet,  as  the  expression 
of  the  sense  of  the  parish,  concerning  what  is  decent  to 
be  done  in  and  about  the  house  of  God.  And  it  is 
pleasing  to  observe,  that  there  appears  to  be  an  increas' 


24 

ing  attention  to  the  recommendation  contained  in  this 
vote. 

Health. — Bradford  has  been  as  much  favoured  in  this 
respect,  as  towns  in  general.  So  far  as  is  known,  there 
never  has  been  a  specifick  local  disorder  here ;  as  far 
back  as  we  have  records,  about  one  in  ten  of  the  deaths 
has  been  of  persons  rising  eighty  years ;  for  the  few 
years  past  the  proportion  has  been  rather  greater.  In 
this  parish  since  my  settlement,  full  one,  out  of  eight 
of  the  deaths,  has  been  of  those,  who,  by  reason  of 
strength,  had  lived  to  four  score  years  ;  and  I  am  happy 
to  say,  that  in  most  of  these,  old  age  was  honourable, 
because  found  in  the  ways  of  righteousness. 

In  1736,  this  town,  in  common  with  several  other 
parts  of  New  England,  was  visited  with  the  throat  dis- 
temper, which  in  one  year,  carried  off  in  this  parish, 
forty-seven  children,  and  nine  grown  persons.  And  it 
is  said  that  only  two  families  entirely  escaped  the  dis- 
order, one  of  which  was  that  of  their  Rev.  Pastor. 
And  I  apprehend  it  is  from  this  circumstance,  connected 
with  the  French  war,  so  called,  wdiich  made  another 
draft  upon  persons  of  the  same  generation,  that  there 
are  fewer  persons  of  from  86  and  upwards  living  now, 
than  there  was  in  the  former  generation,  and  less  than 
there  is  a  prospect  of  being  in  the  generation  now  fol- 
lowing them,  in  this  county,  and  perhaps  in  other  parts 
of  New-England.  This  appears  to  me,  at  least,  a  much 
more  probable  reason  for  the  present  diminution  among 
aged  people,  than  the  one  generally  given,  that  people 
do  not  now  live  as  long,  as  in  the  early  settlement  of 
the  country. 

In  1762,  the  throat  distemper  returned  again,  when 
about  twenty-three  were  taken  away  by  it,  in  a  short 
time.  And  in  1791,  fifteen  more  died  of  the  same  dis- 
order. May  God,  in  his  great  mercy,  forbid  that  this 
judgment  should  return  any  more  to  this  place.  May 
the  rising  generation  be  saved  from  the  pestilence  which 


25 

walketh  in  darkness^  and  from  the  distruction  which  wasteth 
at  noon-day. 

In  May  1777,  the  small-pox  made  its  appearance  in 
this  place.  The  first  person  that  died  with  it,  was  Jere- 
miah Hardy.  The  town  built  a  pest  house  on  the  road 
passing  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Jaquis's,  south  of  his  house, 
and  removed  those  to  it,  who  had  taken  the  disorder. 
Fourteen  had  the  disorder  and  ten  died.  Just  about  the 
time  those,  who  recovered,  were  permitted  to  return  to 
their  homes,  the  pest  house  was  consumed  by  fire  ;  but 
the  town,  though  it  instituted  an  enquiry,  was  not  able 
to  ascertain  by  what  means  the  fire  was  communicated 
to  it. 

What  is  called  the  revolution  in  this  country,  and  by 
which  we  became  a  free  and  independent  people,  is  a 
subject  of  so  much  general  interest,  the  young  will,  be 
glad  to  be  informed,  and  the  old  to  be  reminded,  what 
part  this  town  took,  in  that  glorious  and  ever  memo- 
rable affair.  The  first  public  measure  upon  record,  is 
the  choice  of  captain  Daniel  Thurston,  in  1774,  to  set 
in  the  provincial  congress,  which  was  to  meet  at  Con- 
cord the  11th  of  October,  that  year.  And  at  a  subse- 
quent meeting  of  the  freeholders  and  other  inhabitants 
of  the  town  of  Bradford,  duly  warned  and  legally  as- 
sembled, it  was  voted  to  give  to  captain  Daniel  Thurs- 
ton, the  representative  of  the  town  of  Bradford,  in  gen- 
eral assembly,  the  following  instructions.  "  Sir,  we,  his 
majesty's  most  dutiful  and  loyal  subjects,  freeholders  and 
other  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Bradford,  in  town  meet- 
ing legally  assembled,  this  7th  of  January  1775,  take 
this  opportunity  to  express  our  very  great  uneasiness, 
at  the  infringements  of  our  natural  and  constitutional 
rights,  by  many  of  the  late  measures  of  the  British  ad- 
ministration ;  particularly  those  of  the  taxation  of  the 
colonies,  and  the  granting  of  salaries  to  the  judges  of 
the  Superior  Court,  measures  adapted  as  we  apprehend, 
to  lay  a   foundation   in   time,  to   render  property  preca- 


26 

rious  and  to  introduce  a  system  of  despotism,  which  we 
cannot  view,  but  with  the  utmost  aversion,  and  to  which 
we  cannot  submit,  while  possible  to  be  avoided.  We 
recommend  it  to  you  as  our  representative  in  general  as- 
sembly, to  use  your  influence  to  obtain  redress  of  all 
our  injuries  ;  and  in  particular  to  enquire  whether  the 
support  of  the  judges  of  the  Superior  Court,  has  been 
adequate  to  their  services,  office  and  station ;  and  if  not, 
to  use  your  influence  in  obtaining  suitable  grants  and 
establishments,  as  may  be  thought  sufficient  to  remove 
all  pretence,  that  government  is  not  sufficiently  sup- 
ported among  ourselves,  which  was  voted  unanimously. 
We  also  vote  the  thanks  of  this  town,  to  the  town  of 
Boston,  for  the  care  and  vigilance  they  have  discovered 
for  the  rights  and  privileges  of  this  province,  as  men, 
as  christians,  and  as  subjects.  Voted,  that  the  town 
clerk,  be  directed  to  transmit  a  copy  of  these  instruc- 
tions, &c.  to  the  committee  of  correspondence  in  Bos- 
ton." 


Dudley  Carlton", 
William  Gkeenough, 
Benjamin  Gage,  Jr. 
Thomas  Webster, 
Amos  Mulliken. 


Committee  to 
make  report. 


As  the  difficulties  between  this  and  the  mother  coun- 
try increased,  and  it  had  become  a  serious  question, 
whether  the  united  colonies  should  declare  themselves 
independent,  a  meeting  of  the  town  was  called  "  to  see 
whether  the  town  would  advise  or  give  Dudley  Carlton, 
their  representative,  any  instructions  relative  to  the  hon- 
ourable congress  declaring  the  United  Colonies  inde- 
pendent states."  And  the  town  met  accordingly  on  the 
20th  of  June  1776,  when  they  appointed  Thomas  Web- 
ster, John  Bur  bank,  capt.  Nathaniel  Gage,  Benjamin 
Muzzy,  John  Savory,  to  consult  and  report  to  the  meet- 
ing, what  ought  to  be  done  ;  which  committee  reported, 


27 

that  they  should  send  to  their  representative  the  foUow- 
inof  instructions,  viz : 

To  Dudley  Carlton,  Esq.  representative  from  the  town 
of  Bradford,  in  general  assembly, 

"  Sir- When  we  consider  the .  despotick  plan  of  gov- 
ernment, adopted  by  the  king,  ministry  and  parliament 
of  Great  Britain,  to  enslave  these  American  colonies. 
When  we  consider,  .instead  of  redressing  our  grievan- 
ces, they  have  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  repeated  peti- 
titions  and  remonstrances  of  all  the  United  Colonies, 
and  have  also  been  and  are  still  endeavoring  to  enforce 
their  arbitrary  plan  upon  us,  by  spilling  our  blood,  by 
burning  our  towns,  by  seizing  our  property  and  by  in- 
stigating the  savages  of  the  wilderness,  and  the  negroes 
to  take  up  the  cause  against  us.  When  we  consider 
these  things,  it  raises  our  indignation,  that  we  who  have 
always  been  loyal  subjects  to  the  king  of  Great  Britain, 
should  be  so  unconstitutionally  and  inhumanly  treated  ; 
such  tyranical  impositions  and  abuses  of  power,  we  cannot 
as  men  submit  to.  Therefore  utterly  despairing  of  a  happy 
reconciliation  ever  taking  place  between  Great  Britian 
and  these  colonies,  you  are  hereby  desired,  as  our  rep- 
resentative, to  use  your  utmost  endeavour,  that  our  del- 
egates in  general  congress  be  instructed  to  shake  off  the 
tyrannical  yoke  of  Great  Britain,  and  declare  these 
United  Colonies  independent  of  that  venal,  corrupt  and 
avaricious  court  forever,  provided  no  proposals  for  a 
happy  reconciliation  be  offered,  which  the  honorable 
congress  think  proper  to  accept,  and  we  hereby  engage 
that  we  will,  at  the  risk  of  our  lives  and  fortunes,  en- 
deavour to  defend  them  therein." 

Which  report  was  accepted  so  far  as  it  appears  unan- 
imously, and  accordingly  sent. 

This  town  united  also  by  unanimous  vote,  in  the  ex- 
ertions which  were  made  through  this  state,  to  procure 
an  universal  observance  of  an  act  of  the  state,  to  pre- 
vent monopoly :    And   at   the   same   meeting,   gave    the 


28 

selectmen  discretionary  power  to  purchase  guns  and 
powder.  In  the  same  year  they  met  to  choose  some 
one  firmly  attached  to  the  American  cause,  to  secure 
this  and  the  other  United  States,  against  the  danger  to 
which  they  were  exposed  by  internal  enemies,  and  Abra- 
ham Day,  Jr.  was  made  choice  of  for  this  purpose.  As 
it  would  not  be  possible  to  go  through  all  the  meas- 
ures the  town  took  in  this  work,  I  will  remark  that 
during  the  continuance  of  the  war,  the  people  of  the 
town  appear  to  have  been  ready  and  willing  to  do  their 
part  in  the  toil,  and  bear  their  part  of  the  expenses  of 
that  war ;  which  remark  is  abundantly  supported  by 
their  numerous  votes  to  raise  money,  provision  and  men, 
whenever  called  upon  by  the  proper  authorities,  and 
from  their  prompt  assistance,  without  any  call,  when  the 
exigencies  of  the  country  seemed  to  require. 

After  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  when  this  country 
had  vii'tually  obtained  the  object  contended  for,  it  be- 
came a  question,  what  course  should  be  taken  in  regard 
to  those  who  had  left  the  country  during  the  war.  The 
sentiment  of  this  town  on  the  subject,  may  be  learned 
from  the  following  resolution,  passed  May  17th,  1783, 
viz :  "  That  the  representative  from  this  town  the  en- 
suing year,  be  instructed  to  use  his  utmost  endeavour, 
to  prevent  any  person  or  persons  returning  to  live  in 
this  commonwealth,  who  have  conspired  against  or  ab- 
sented themselves  from  the  United  States,  during  the 
continuance  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain."  The  sen- 
timent expressed  in  this  vote,  prevailed  generally  at  that 
time,  but  has  not  borne  the  test  of  more  cool  delibera- 
tion. 

After  the  declaration  of  independence,  it  became  a 
subject  of  great  concern,  to  define  the  principles  and 
fix  upon  the  form  of  government  in  this  commonwealth. 
And  there  were  measures  taken  to  get  the  minds  of  the 
people,  on  the  subject  of  a  new  constitution,  and  of 
the  manner  it  should  be  formed.     The  result   this  town 


29 

came  to,  is  expressed  in  the  following  resolution,  "  that 
we  are  not  willing,  nor  do  we  consent,  that  the  house 
of  representatives  and  council  acting  in  one  body,  as 
proposed  in  a  resolve  of  the  house,  passed  September 
17,  1776,  should  agree  on,  and  enact  a  constitution,  and 
form  of  government  for  this  state,  but  we  are  willing 
and  do  desire  that  the  honourable  council,  and  the  hon- 
ourable house  of  representatives,  each  acting  in  their 
respective  capacities  proceed  to  form  a  plan  of  govern- 
ment for  this  state,  and  exhibit  attested  copies  of  the 
same,  to  the  several  towns,  for  their  inspection  and  ap- 
probation, before  it  be  ratified  and  confirmed." 

In  1779,  when  delegates  were  to  be  chosen  for  the 
formation  of  a  constitution,  this  town  made  choice  of 
Peter  Russel,  Esq.  to  meet  with  the  convention,  to  be 
assembled  for  that  purpose  on  the  1st  of  September, 
and  instructed  him,  when  the  constitution  was  formed, 
to  deliver  a  copy  of  it  to  the  selectmen,  in  order  to  have 
it  laid^before  the  town  for  their  inspection.  The  con- 
stitution being  formed  and  sent  to  the  people  in  1780, 
the  people  voted  to  accept  it,  requiring  however,  that 
the  word  protestant  should  be  inserted  after  the  word 
christian  in  the  qualification  for  governor.  There  were 
eleven  votes  against  the  third  article,  the  rest  appears  to 
have  been  adopted  without  dissent. 

In  1795,  when  the  time  had  arrived  for  the  re^asion  of 
the  constitution,  according  to  a  provision  made  in  it,  if 
the  people  desired  it,  there  was  but  one  vote  in  favour 
of  a  revision. 

This  year,  as  you  know,  there  has  been  a  ncAv  pro- 
posal for  alteration,  arising  professedly  from  tliis  circum- 
stance, that  one  large  portion  of  this  state  has  been  sep- 
arated from  it.  A  majority  of  votes  was  given  in  favor 
of  revision.  And  there  being  found  to  be  a  majority  in 
the  state,  this  town  voted  to  send  to  the  Convention,  and 
for  this  purpose,  made  choice  of  Daniel  Stickney,  and 
Jesse    Kimball,    Esquires.     The    Convention    is   now   in 


30 

session,  and  the  revision  going  on  perhaps  not  with  all 
the  speed  the  public  expected,  but  with  a  spirit  and 
talent  which  promises  a  happy  issue. 

Religion. — At  what  time  the  people  upon  this  river,  be- 
gan  first   to   enjoy   the   worship   of  God   by  themselves, 
does  not  appear  from  any  record  that  I  have  found.    Rev. 
Mr.  Zechariah  Symmes,  must    have  resided  in  this  town 
in  capacity  of  a  religious  teacher,  at  least  about  fourteen 
years  before  his  ordination.     For  in    the  first  legal  town 
meeting    of    which    we  have  a  record,  held    in    1668,  it 
was  voted,  that  the  selectmen    chosen    that  year,  should 
have  power  to  carry   on   and  finish   the  minister's  house 
according  to  Mr.  Symmes'  direction,  though   he  was  not 
ordained  till  1682.     And  for  his   support,  the  first  year, 
he  received  forty  pounds,  the  next  year  fifty,  which  ap- 
pears to  have  been  his  yearly  salary,  till  the  time  of  his 
ordination.     The    one    half   of    this  was   to    be   paid  in 
wheat,  pork,  butter   and    cheese,  the  otlier  half  in  malt, 
Indian  corn  or  rye.     And  the  town  appear  to  have  been 
desirous  to  make  his   circumstances  altogether  comforta- 
ble, for    in    1669,  they  voted    to  defray  the   expense  of 
bringing  his  goods  to  town,  gave  him  forty  acres  of  land 
near    Indian    hill,  and    appointed    sergeant    Gage,  John 
Simmons  and   David  Haseltine,  to  lay  it  out.     And  fur- 
ther appointed  Robert    Haseltine    and    Samuel  Wooster, 
to  gather  the  tax,  and  take  care  to    have  Mr.  Symmes' 
work  done,  and  to  attend  to  such  other  things  as  he  should 
stand  in  need  of  during  the  year.     And  a  committee  was 
appointed  for  the  same  purpose  from  year  to  year,  during 
his  and  the  greater  part  of  his  successor's  ministry  in  this 
place.     Indeed  provision  for  the  full  and  respectable    en- 
joyment of  religion,  and  for  the  comfort  of  those  who  min- 
istered to  them  in  holy  things,  formed  a  very  prominent 
trait  in  the  character  of    the  first    settlers  in  this  town. 
Hardly  a  meeting  of  the  town  passed  without  doing  some- 
thing on  this  subject,  and  all  manifesting  a  liberality  which 
does  them  honor.     In  accordance  with   what  was  a  princi- 


31 

pal  object  with  them,  they  appointed  in  1677,  Samuel 
Wooster,  John  Tennj',  John  Simmons  and  Richard  Hall, 
to  join  with  Mr.  Symmes  "to  advise  to  what  might  be 
thought  best  for  the  further  carrying  on  the  affairs  of  re- 
ligion, and  to  prepare  for  the  settlement  of  the  ordinances 
of  God,  in  this  place."  And  in  1681,  it  was  voted  and 
consented  to,  "that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Symmes  have  liberty  at 
his  discretion,  to  call  out  any  two  men  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  town,  to  assist  him  in  catechising  the  youth,  and 
also  to  go  with  him  to  see  who  of  the  heads  of  the  fami- 
lies or  others,  would  join  the  church."  That  the  last  part 
of  this  resolve  may  be  understood,  it  may  be  necessary 
to  observe,  that  it  was  now  in  contemplation  to  form  a 
church  in  this  town,  for  though  the  inhabitants  of  this 
town  had  enjoyed,  as  we  have  noticed,  the  ministry  of 
the  word,  they  had  not  the  holy  sacrament,  for  their  re- 
ligious teacher,  Mr.  Symmes,  had  not  yet  been  ordained  ; 
the  pious  were  united  with  the  church  at  Rowley,  Ha- 
verhill, and  perhaps  with  other  neighboring  societies, 
the  object  therefore  of  this  resolution  was  to  see  who 
would  take  up  their  connections  with  other  churches,  and 
unite  in  forming  one  in  this  place,  and  further  to  ascertain 
whether  there  were  not  other  serious  persons  disposed 
to  unite  with  them.  Having  ascertained  each  other's 
feelings  on  this  subject,  and  found,  as  their  consequent 
doings  prove,  the  minds  of  professors  favourable  to  such 
a  plan,  they  called  in  the  pastors  of  several  churches 
to  advise  with  them  about  the  propriety  of  the  measure 
they  had  in  contemplation.  The  result  of  their  deliber- 
ations we  have  in  the  following  instrument. 

"The  question  being  proposed  to  us  whose  names  are 
under-written,  whether  the  minister  and  people  at  Brad- 
ford, should  promote  without  delay  a  coalition  of  them- 
selves into  a  church  and  society,  we  answer  in  the  affirm- 
ative, provided  that  the  people  do  their  utmost  in  tak- 
ing effectual  care,  that  he  that  preaches  the  gospel  among 
them,  live  on  the  gospel  according  to  1  Cor.  ix,  14,  that 


32 

so  he  may  provide  for  his  own  household,  as  1  Tim.,  v,  2, 
provided  also,  that  their  present  teacher  accept  of  office 
work  among  them  so  long  as  he  finds  he  can  coraforta- 
bh^  discharge  his  duty,  in  all  the  relations  he  stands  to 
God,  his  people  and  in  his  family,  and  that  when  he 
finds  he  cannot  discharge  his  said  duties  respectively, 
the  people  shall  freely  release  him  of  his  engagement  to 
them,  after  leave  of  council  taken  in  the  case :  for 
hereby  is  a  door  opened  for  the  worker  to  work  the 
whole  work  of  God,  as  an  officer  of  Christ  in  that  place, 
as  others  in  office  do  in  their  places  according  to  the 
1  Cor.  xvi.  10,  for  lie  worketh  the  work  of  Grod  as  I  also 
do ;  hereby  also  is  a  better  opportunity  both  for  the 
worker  and  those  that  are  taught  to  walk  in  all  the  com- 
mandments and  ordinances  of  God  blameless :  Luke  i,  6. 
That  they  maj^  be  found  walking  in  the  truth  as  we 
have  received  commandment  from  the  father,  2  John  4. 
Dated  31st  Oct.  1682. 

This  was  subscribed  by  the  Rev.  Elder  John  Higgin- 
son,  William  Hubbard,  John  Brak,  Samuel  Phillips, 
John  Richerson,  John  Hale,  Edward  Payson.  And  at 
a  legal  town  meeting,  November  28,  1682,  it  was  voted 
and  granted,  that  this  resolve  of  the  Rev.  Elders,  be 
entered  in  the  town  book  as  what  was  ascented  to  by 
all  the  inhabitants  in  the  town. 

To  the  conditions  proposed  by  these  reverend  Elders, 
the  town  made  the  reply  contained  in  the  following  in- 
strument, which  also  contains  the  call  they  made  to  Mr. 
Symmes,  to  settle  with  them. 

"  We,  the  inhabitants  of  Bradford,  met  together  at  a 
legal  town  meeting,  13th  March,  1682,  in  thankfulness 
to  God  for  his  great  mercy  in  setting  up  his  sanctuary 
among  us,  do  hereby  engage  ourselves,  jointly  and  singly, 
and  do  engage  our  children  after  us,  as  far  as  we  may, 
by  our  parental  authority,  to  endeavor  by  our  and  their 
utmost  power,  to  uphold  the  faithful  ministry  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  this  town  of  Bradford,  so  long 


33 

as  we  and  they  shall  live;  and  for  the  encouragement  of 
the  same,  to  contribute  a  liberal  and  honorable  main- 
tenance towards  it,  as  the  rule  of  the  gospel  doth  re- 
quire, to  the  utmost  of  our  and  their  ability,  which  God 
shall  be  pleased  to  bless  us  and  them  with  from  time 
to  time.  And  for  the  encouragement  of  our  present 
minister,  we  do  covenant  and  promise  to  give  and  allow 
to  him,  so  long  as  he  shall  continue  with  us  as  our 
minister,  the  full  sum  of  sixty  pounds  per  annum,  if 
God  be  pleased  to  preserve  us  in  our  present  capacity, 
and  for  to  be  paid  in  our  present  state  annually,  as  fol- 
lows :  the  first  half  in  wheat  and  pork,  butter  and  cheese, 
allowing  at  least  to  this  half,  one  pound  of  butter  for 
every  milch  cow  and  one  cheese  for  a  family;  the  other 
half  to  be  in  malt,  Indian  or  rye,  except  what  he  will- 
ingly excepts  in  other  pay;  the  first  payment  to  be  made 
the  second  Thursday  in  October,  the  other  payment  to 
be  made  the  third  Thursday  in  March  ;  and  if  any  un- 
foreseen providence  shall  hinder,  then  to  take  the  next 
convenient  day  the  week  following. 

We  further  grant  liberty  to  him,  to  improve  for  his 
best  advantage,  what  land  we  shall  accomplish  or  ob- 
tain for  our  ministry.  We  grant  him  also  liberty  to 
feed  his  herd  of  cattle  on  our  lands  during  his  abode 
with  us,  which  shall  have  the  same  liberty  as  our  own 
cattle  have.  We  engage  to  procure  for  him,  at  our 
own  charge  besides  the  annual  stipend,  sufficient  fire- 
wood every  year  in  good  cord  wood,  he  allowing  six 
pence  per  cord,  to  bring  it  seasonably  and  cord  it  up 
in  his  yard.  We  engage  also  to  furnish  him  yearly 
with  ten  sufficient  loads  of  good  hay  if  he  need  them 
at  price  current  among  us,  and  to  bring  it  in  the 
summer  time  and  also  to  supply  him  with  sufficient 
fencing  and  good  stuff  whicli  he  may  hereafter  need, 
at  a  reasonable  lay.  We  engage  that  there  be  conve- 
nient highways  provided  and  legally  stated,  to  the  sev- 
eral parcels  of   land,  which  we   have  given  him  ;    as   to 


34 

the  five  acres  of  meadow  and  the  forty  acres  of  upland, 
we  bought  of  Beujamin  KimbalL  We  do  also  engage 
that  two  men  shall  be  chosen  from  year  to  year  for  the 
comfortable  carrying  on  of  his  affairs,  and  that  these 
two  men  shall  have  power  to  require  any  man  at  two 
days  warning,  according  to  his  proportion,  to  help  car- 
ry on  his  necessary  husbandry  work.  We  also  engage 
that  these  agreements,  together  with  an}^  legal  town  acts, 
confirming  the  annual  stipend  and  other  concerns  of  our 
present  minister,  be  duly  and  truely,  in  manner  and 
kind  as  above  specified  without  trouble  to  himself. 

This  was  voted  and  granted  to  be  entered  in  the 
town's  book,  at  a  legal  town  meeting  the  13th  Janu- 
ary, 16B2,  as  attests,  Shubal  Walker,   Recorder.''^ 

During  the  time  these  things  were  doing  by  the  town, 
those  who  intended  to  unite  in  church  relation,  were 
preparing  themselves  for  this  solemnity,  as  we  learn  from 
the  following  instrument,  which  they  called  an  act  of 
Pacification,  viz: — 

"We,  whose  names  are  subscribed,  being  awfully  sen- 
sible that  we  live  in  an  age,  wherein,  God  hatli  in  part, 
executed  the  dreadful  threatenings  to  take  place  in  the 
earth,  and  wherein  satan  the  great  makebate  and  au- 
thor of  contentions,  doth  by  God's  holy  permission  ex- 
ceedingly rage  even  in  the  visible  church  of  God,  and 
wherein  the  wicked  one  is  sowingr  the  tares  of  discord 
almost  in  every  christian  society,  (the  sad  effects  of 
which,  we  who  are  the  inhabitants  of  Bradford,  have 
for  some  years  past  experimentally  felt,  and  have  yet 
the  bitter  remembrance  thereof,)  we  being  now  (through 
the  rich  and  undeserved  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus) 
under  hopeful  probability  of  setting  up  a  church  of 
Christ  Jesus  in  Bradford,  do  take  this  occasion,  as  to  ex- 
press our  hearty  and  unfeigned  sorrow  and  humiliation 
for  what  unchristian  differences  have  broken  forth  among 
us,  to  the  dishonor  of  God's  name,  the  grief  of  his  Spirit 
and     to     the    obstiaicting    of    the   word    and  kingdom  of 


35 

Jesus  Christ  among  us,  and  to  the  hindering  of  our  own 
peace  and  edification ;  so  also  in  the  name  of  God  and 
by  his  gracious  help,  seriously  and  solemnly  do  engage 
and  promise  for  the  future  to  forgive  and  forget,  to  the 
utmost  of  our  endeavors,  all  former  unchristian  animos- 
ities, distances,  alienations,  differences  and  contests,  pri- 
vate or  more  public,  personal  or  social  that  have  risen 
among  us,  or  between  us  and  other  people,  to  pass  a 
general  act  of  amnesty  and  oblivion  upon  them  all,  and 
not  to  speak  of  them  to  the  defamation  of  each  other 
at  home  in  Bradford  town,  much  less  abroad  in  any 
other  place,  nor  to  repeat  or  revive  them,  unless  call- 
ed by  scripture  rule  or  lawful  authority  to  mention 
them  for  the  conviction  or  spiritual  advantage  of 
each  other.  Besides,  we  promise,  through  the  grace  of 
God,  that  in  case  God  in  his  most  wise  and  holy  prov- 
idence, should  permit  any  offences  for  the  future  to  break 
forth  among  us,  (which  we  desire  God,  in  his  infinite 
mercy  would  prevent,  as  far  as  may  be  for  his  glory  and 
our  own  good,)  that  we  will  then  conscientiously  en- 
deavour to  attend  scripture  rules  for  the  healing  and  re- 
moving them,  and  those  holy  rules  in  particular  Levit. 
xix,  17,  18,  Math,  xviii,  15,  &c.  and  so  bring  no  matter  of 
grievance  against  each  other,  to  our  minister  and  to 
our  church,  but  in  a  scriptural  and  orderly  way  and 
manner.  That  we  may  be  helped  inviolably  to  observe 
this  our  agreement,  we  desire  the  assistance  of  each 
other's  mutual,  both  christian  and  church  watch,  that 
we  may  be  monitors  or  as  it  were  remembrancers  to 
each  other  of  this  branch  of  our  covenant;  as  also  through 
instant  and  constant  prayers  of  each  other,  that  God  would 
enable  us  carefully  to  observe  this  instrument  of  our 
pacification  and  our  conditional  obligation  to  church 
and  order,  that  God's  name  may  be  honored  by  us,  and 
we  may  experience  God's  connnandiiig  his  blessing  upon 
us,  even  life  forevermore. — Private  fast,  April  20,  1682, 
then    was   this  vote   passed." 


36 

Having  thus  as  they  hoped  sanctified  themselves,  and 
all  things  being  ready,  they  united  together  in  fellow- 
ship the  27th  of  December  1682,  the  day  Mr.  Symmes 
was  ordained.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  part  of 
the  covenant  they  took  is  missing.  What  remains  I 
will  present   to  you. 

*  *  By  the  power  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  ministry  of 
his  word,  whereby  we  have  been  brought  to  see  our 
misery  by  nature,  our  inability  to  help  ourselves,  and 
our  need  of  a  Saviour  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom 
we  desire  now  solemnly  to  give  up  ourselves,  as  to  our 
only  Redeemer,  to  keep  us  by  his  power  unto  salvation. 
And  for  the  furtherance  of  the  blessed  work,  we  are 
now  ready  to  enter  into  a  solemn  covenant  with  God 
and  with  one  another,  that  is  to  say,  we  do  give  up  our- 
selves unto  (xod  whose  name  alone  is  Jehovah,  as  the 
only  true  and  living  God,  and  unto  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  his  only  son,  who  is  the  Saviour,  Prophet,  Priest 
and  King  of  his  church  and  Mediator  of  the  covenant 
of  grace  and  to  his  Holy  Spirit  to  lead  us  into  all  truth 
and  to  bring  us  unto  salvation  at  the  last.  We  do  also 
give  up  oiir  offsprings  unto  God  ii  Christ  Jesus,  avouch- 
ing him  to  be  our  God  and  the  God  of  our  children, 
humbly  desiring  him  to  bestow  upon  us  that  grace, 
whereby  both  we  and  they  may  walk  before  him  as  be- 
comes his  covenant  people  forever.  We  do  also  give  up 
ourselves  one  unto  another  in  the  Lord,  according  to 
the  will  of  God,  engaging  ourselves  to  walk  together  as 
a  right  ordered  church  of  Christ,  in  all  the  ways  of  his 
worship,  according  to  the  rules  of  his  most  holy  word, 
promising  in  brotherly  labor,  faithfully  to  watch  over 
one  another's  souls  and  to  submit  ourselves  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  Christ  in  his  church,  attending  upon  all 
his  holy  administrations  according  to  the  order  of  the 
gospel,  so  far  as  God  hath  or  may  reveal  it  to  us  by 
his  word  and  Spirit. 


37 

ZACHERI4H    SyMMES,  SaMUEL     HaSELTINE, 

M  Samuel  Stickney,  Johjsi  Hardy, 

John  Tenny,  Joseph  Bailey, 

John  Simmonds,  Abraham  Haseltine, 

William  Hitch ence,  X  John  Boynton, 
Joseph  Palmer,  John  Walson, 

David  Haseltine,  Robert  Haseltine, 

Richard  Hall,  X  B.  Kimball, 

M  Thomas  West,  X  Robert  Savory. 

Mr.  Symmes  was  the  son  of  Zacheriah  Symmes  min- 
ister of  Chaiiestown,  who  came  from  England.  Of  his 
mother,  Mr.  Johnson,  whose  name  we  have  had  occa- 
sion to  mention,  observes,  "that  she  was  a  godly  woman. 
Her  courage  exceeded  her  stature,  she  bore  every  difficul- 
ty with  cheerfulness,  and  raised  up  her  ten  children  to 
people  the  American  wilderness."  It  seems  that  after 
this,  she  must  have  had  three  more,  for  Mr.  Symmes' 
Epitaph  gives  him  five  sons  and  eight  daughters. 

Our  Mr.  Symmes  was  educated  at  Cambridge,  and 
graduated  in  1657.  He  must  have  been  a  man  of  con- 
siderable note  as  well  as  learning,  for  he  was  one  of  the 
fellows  of  Harvard  College,  and  I  believe  preached  an 
Election  Sermon.  Judging  from  the  church  records,  we 
have  much  reason  to  suppose,  that  he  took  heed  to  the 
ministry  which  he  received  of  the  Lord  to  fulfil  it.  And 
the  work  of  grace  was  carried  on  through  his  instrument- 
ality; 126  were  added  to  the  church,  and  238  were  baptized 
during  his  ministry,  which,  considering  the  then  pop- 
ulation of  the  town,  must  be  considered  a  goodl}^  number. 
In  1705,  as  Mr.  Symmes  grew  old  and  feeble,  the  town 
voted  "to  employ  some  one  to  help  their  beloved  Pastor  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry,"  and  appointed  Capt.  David 
Haseltine  and  Ensign  John  Tenny,  to  go  abroad  and 
upon  good  information,  invite  some  one  to  come  and  labor 
among  them.     This  committee  employed  a  Mr.  Hale,  who 

'^   The  persons  whose  names  have  this  mark  prefixed  to  them,  signed  thi  s 
covenant  by  putting  their  marlc  to  it. 


3S 

after  a  trial  of  a  few  Sabbaths,  the  town  liked  so  well, 
they  voted  to  employ  him  for  a  j^ear,  and  to  give  him 
thirty  pounds,  his  own  board  and  horse  keeping.  The 
next  year  they  voted  to  give  him  the  same  sum,  and  60 
shillings  more  instead  of  keeping  his  horse,  and  dur- 
ing the  year  made  his  support  in  all,  equal  to  46 
pounds  ;  and  it  seems  upon  the  Avhole,  they  intended  to 
have  settled  him,  for  something  like  an  expression  of 
this  passed  in  town  meeting,  but  why  it  was  never  ac- 
complished is  not  known.  In  the  year  1706,  a  difficulty 
arising  between  Mr.  Syrames  and  the  town,  relative  to 
some  items  in  his  salary,  it  was  mutually  agreed  it  should 
be  left  to  council ;  and  Dea.  Tenny,  Dea.  Bailey  and 
Phillip  Atwood  were  appointed  to  manage  the  business 
before  the  council,  and  afterwards  Capt.  David  Hasel- 
tine  and  Lieut.  Richard  Kimball  were  added  to  the  com- 
mittee, and  for  ought  appears,  the  affair  was  amicably 
adjusted.  Mr.  Symmes  was  evidently  greatly  respected 
by  the  town,  and  his  judgment  much  confided  in.  And 
it  is  nothing  more  than  an  act  of  justice  to  say,  the 
town  appear  to  have  acted  generously  in  the  provision 
the}^  made  for  his  temporal  comfort,  and  to  have  united 
readily  with  him  in  all  his  exertions  to  do  good. 

Upon  his  tomb  stone  is  the  following  Inscription. 
Conditum  Hie  Corpus  Viri  Veri  Reverendi  Zachaii 
Symmes  College  Harvardini  Quondam  Socii  Evangelii 
Ministri  Nati  Omnigena  Eruditione  Ornati  Pietate  Vitae- 
que  Sanctitate  Maxime  Conspicui  Ecclaesiae  christi  Quae 
est  Bradfordse  per  XL  Annos  Pastoris  Vigilentissimi  fui 
Commutavit  Mortalem  cum  Immortali  Die  XXII  Mar- 
tii  anno  domini  MDCCVII  Aetatis  Luci  LXXI. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Symmes,  the  town  having 
made  trial  of  his  ministerial  endowments,  voted  to  give 
a  Mr.  Stearns  a  call  to  settle  with  them,  and  for  his 
support  to  give  him  60  pounds  for  the  first  four  years, 
and  65  the  remainder  of  his  life,  the  improvement  of  the 


39 

parsonage,  and  thirty  cords  of  wood.  Why  he  did  not 
accept  is  not  mentioned.  In  July  the  20th,  1708,  the 
church  voted  to  give  Mr.  Thomas  Symmes,  a  son  of 
their  former  minister,  an  invitation  to  settle  with  them, 
and  the  town  voted  the  same  day  to  concur  with  the 
church,  and  for  his  support  to  give  him  "both  for  quan- 
tity and  quality"  the  same  they  had  offered  Mr. 
Stearns.  He  accepted  tl>e  call  and  was  installed  De- 
cember 1708,  about  a  year  after  his  father's  death.  Mr. 
T.  Symmes  was  born  in  Bradford,  February  1678,  and 
was  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  where  he  received  his 
education  in  1698.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  powers  of 
mind  and  of  very  considerable  learning ;  often  read  in 
his  family  from  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  He  was  the 
first  minister  in  Boxford,  ordained  1702,  but  was  dis- 
missed from  them  in  1708,  the  same  year  he  was  in- 
stalled in  this  town.  In  early  life  his  principles  were 
not  very  strict,  but  he  afterward  embraced  what  are 
called  the  distinguishing  doctrines  of  grace.  He  was 
a  man  of  irritable  if  not  of  fiery  passions,  several 
instances  are  recollected  in  which  his  feelings  got  alto^ 
gether  the  control  of  him,  but  he  made  it  a  uniform 
habit,  as  soon  as  the  heat  of  the  moment  was  over, 
to  confess  his  sin,  and  if  in  his  passion  he  had  said  any 
thing  offensive  to  others,  to  ask  their  pardon.  He 
wanted  economy  in  the  management  of  his  pecuniary 
concerns,  for  with  a  better  salary  than  any  of  his  neigh- 
bours, he  lived  and  died  poor.  He  wanted  prudence 
also  in  his  intercourse  with  his  people  and  in  the  mea- 
sures he  recommended  and  adopted  for  the  common 
good.  As  evidence  of  this,  I  will  mention  a  rule  which 
he  prevailed  with  the  church  to  adopt,  declaring  it  to 
be  disorderly  and  a  crime  to  be  punished  for  church 
members  to  lean  their  heads  down  on  their  pews  or 
rest  them  on  their  hands  during  public  worship.  And 
he  laboured  much  with  the  parish  to  get  them  to  pass 
a  resolution    to    have    the    doors  of     the    meeting-house 


40 

closed  the  moment    public    worship    commenced,    and  to 
suffer    no    one     to  come     in    after    that.     Though    Mr. 
Sjmmes  might  go  to  extremes  on  these  subjects,  it  must 
be  felt  that  reformation  is  needed  here  and    in  most  so- 
cieties in  these    particulars,    and  I  hope  a    hint    of    this 
kind  will  never    again  be    called  for    to  secure,  in  your 
practice,  all  which    decency    and  order  requires  in     this 
house  of  God.     Mr.  Symmes  wjjs  a  good  singer  himself, 
and  was   verv  resolute  to  introduce  regular  sinoing  amoncj 
his    people,    who  were    not  at   this   time     accustomed    to 
such  kind    of  singing,  however    contrary    to  their   preju- 
dices and  inclinations.     He  wrote  a  kind  of  serio-jocose 
dialogue    on   the     subject,    which    he    published,  and    by 
these    means  raised  a  considerable    party   spirit   in    both 
places    of   his  settlement.     He  was  a  man  of  very  popu- 
lar   talents    and    made    a  figure   in   his    profession.     We 
may  jndge    of  his   powers   in   the    pulpit  by  what   Rev. 
Mr.  Coleman  says  of  his  election  sermon   preached  1720, 
"may   it  prove,  says  he,  as   profitable  in  the  reading,  as 
it   was  pleasant  in  the  hearing,  the   preacher  was  unto  us 
a   very   lovely     song   of  one  that   has    a   pleasant   voice, 
and  can  play  well  on  an  instrument."     He  was  an  uncom- 
monly faithful  man  in  all  the  parts  of  the   gospel  min- 
istry,   took   special  pleasure  in   giving  instruction   to  the 
rising   generation,  published  one  sermon  preached  to  the 
young    men    of  his  parish,    which    was  much  praised   by 
Increase    Mather,  and    which   needs   only    to  be  read  to 
be    admired    by  all  who    have   the    things  of  religion  at 
heart.     He  was  very  exact  in  self-examination,  and  spent 
much  time  in  secret  prayer,    and  was  uncommonly  anx- 
ious, and  labored    abundantly    to  have    the  church  with- 
out spot  and  blemish  or  any  such  thing,  and  all  its  mem- 
bers walk    in    the  faith.     He  was    in  favour  of  Congre- 
gational   church    government   and    greatly     approved    of 
that  part  of   the  Cambridge  platform  which  recommends 
the  having  ruling  elders  in    the    church ;    and    prevailed 
with  his  church  to    adopt  that  platform    and  to  appoint 


41 

elders.  His  ministry  was  attended  with  great  success 
both  in  animating  and  quickening  and  edifying  profes- 
sors, and  in  awakening  sinners,  two  or  three  consider- 
able revivals  took  place  during  his  ministr3^  I"  1720, 
sixty-four  were  added  to  the  church,  forty-six  of  whom 
in  three  months,  and  twenty-five  in  one  day,  and  there 
was  but  one  year  which  passed  without  considerable  ac- 
cessions to  the  fold  of  Christ.  Two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-three were  received  in  the  communion  during  his 
ministry.  And  on  the  11th  of  June,  two  hundred  and 
thirty-four  persons  united  in  commemorating  their  once 
crucified,  but  now  risen  Saviour,  which  number  consid- 
ering there  were  then  but  about  two  hundred  families  in 
town,  I  apprehend  must  have  been  very  large  even  in 
those  better  days.  Four  hundred  and  seventy-four  were 
baptized  by  him,  and  eighty-seven  couples  married.  He 
died  October  6th,  1725,  aged  48,  and  the  town  voted 
fifty  pounds  to  defray  his  funeral  charges  and  continued 
for  some  time  his  salary  to  his  widow.  Besides  those 
already  mentioned,  Mr.  Symmes  preached  a  sermon 
which  he  published.  He  also  wrote  and  published  an 
account  of  the  fight  at  Pigwaket.* 

Upon  his  tomb  stone  is  the  following  Inscription. 

Rev.  Thomas  Symmes  died  October  the  6th,  1725, 
aged  48.  He  was  an  eminent  christian,  very  lovely  in 
his  life,  and  every  way  an  accomplished  minister,  of 
great  industry,  fidelity  and  concern  for  the  generation 
after,  saying,  while  I  live  I  will  seek  their  good,  when 
I  die  write  on  my  grave,  here  lies  one  who  loved  and 
sought  the  good  of  the  rising  generation. 

In  November  following  Mr.  S.  death,  the  town  ap- 
pointed Dea.  Haseltine  and  Richard  Bailey  a  committee 
to  supply  the  pulpit,  who  engaged  for  this  purpose  Mr. 
Joseph  Parsons,  of  Brookfield,  to  whom  the  church,  af- 
ter a  time  of    trial,    gave  a  call    to    settle  with  them  in 

*  The  memoirs  of  the  life  and  ministry  of  Mr.  Symmes,  written  by  Rev. 
John  Brown,  formerly  of  llaverliill,  is  aa  extremely  interesting  little  book. 
A  new  edition  waa  published  in  1816. 


42 

< 

the  work  of  the  ministry,  in  which  call  the  town  con- 
curred February  18th,  1726,  and  agreed  to  give  him  for 
his  support,  one  hundred  pounds  salary,  one  hundred 
settlement,  the  parsonage  and  dwelling-house ;  and  in 
April  the  same  year,  they  added  ten  pounds  more  to 
his  salary.  Which  offer  he  accepted  and  was  ordained 
the  8th  of  June  1726.  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any 
public  account  of  his  cliaracter  and  life.  Those  who 
knew  him,  speak  of  him  as  an  amiable,  pleasant  man,  a 
good  public  speaker,  and  as  well  liked  by  neighbouring 
societies.  I  should  apprehend  he  was  a  man  of  less 
learning  than  his  predecessors.  His  own  people  retain- 
ed their  attachment  to  him  till  his  death,  which  took 
place  on  the  4th  of  May  1765,  in  the  63d  year  of  his 
age,  and  39th  of  his  ministry.  He  was  a  very  fine  pen- 
man, and  kept  the  church  records  with  uncommon  ele- 
gance and  accuracy.  During  his  ministry  288  were  add- 
ed to  the  church,  831  baptized,  176  married.  In  a  mem- 
orandum attached  to  the  church  records,  he  observes, 
that  the  earthquake  on  the  29th  October  1727,  produc- 
ed a  great  effect  upon  the  minds  of  his  people,  and  was 
the  means  of  awakening  their  attention  to  things  of  re- 
ligion. The  same  providence  was  followed  with  the 
same  effect  in  this  parish,  and  many  Avere  in  conse- 
quence added  to  this  church.  Mr.  Parsons  preached 
the  convention  sermon  in  1755,  Math,  v,  14,  15,  16. 

Upon  his  tomb  stone  is  the  following  Inscription. 
This  stone  is  placed  over  the  dust  of  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Parsons,  A.  M.  pastor  of  the  first  church  in 
Bradford,  as  a  testimony  of  the  esteem  and  regard 
his  flock  bore  to  him,  as  an  excellent  minister  and  a 
christian,  prepared  for  a  better  world.  He  was  fav- 
oured with  a  quick  and  easy  dismission  from  this,  May 
4th,  1765,  in  the  63d  year  of  his  age,  and  39th  of  his 
ministry. 

It  was   in    June  following  the    ordination   of  Mr.  Par- 
sons, that   this  parish  was   set   off,  which  event    was  in- 


43 

deed,  in  contemplation,  at  the  time  Mr.  Parsons  re- 
ceived his  call,  and  which  induced  the  people  of  this 
part  of  town  to  vote  against  his  settlement,  not  as 
they  declared  that  they  had  ought  against  the  man  or 
doubted  his  ministerial  qualifications,  but  because,  con- 
templating a  separation,  they  wished  this  to  take  place 
first,  so  as  not  to  be  involved  in  tlie  expense  of  set- 
tling a  man  whose  ministry  they  did  not  expect  to 
enjoy. 

Mr.  Samuel  Williams,  of  Waltham,  succeeded  Mr. 
Parsons  in  the  west  parish,  he  was  ordained  Nov.  20th 
1765,  and  continued  till  January  14th,  1780,  when  he  was 
dismissed  in  order  to  his  accepting  the  professorship  of 
Matheraaticks  and  Natural  Philosophy  in  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, iie  was,  I  suppose,  a  man  of  more  learning, 
than  any  other  whose  ministry  this  town  has  enjoyed. 
He  was  known  as  a  literary  character,  not  only  in  this 
but  in  other  countries,  among  whom  he  is  spoken  of 
with  respect  for  his  philosophical  enquiries  and  observa- 
tions. A  circumstance  took  place  at  Cambridge  which 
rendered  his  religious  character  questionable,  but  with 
the  particulars  of  that  unhappy  transaction  I  am  not  ac- 
quainted. We  should  be  careful  not  to  form  too  decid- 
ed an  opinion  of  a  man's  character  from  a  single  fault.  A 
gentleman  who  was  well  acquainted  with  him  in  Ver- 
mont, and  who  spent  a  considerable  time  in  his  family, 
informed  me,  he  spent  his  time  in  useful  studies,  much 
esteemed  for  his  great  attainments,  and  for  his  sober  and 
orderly  life.  His  history  of  Vermont  has  passed  through 
two  editions,  and  is  one  of  the  best  works  of  ths  kind, 
which  have  been  written  in  this  country.  He  died  at  Rut- 
land, in  1817.  During  his  ministry,  the  work  of  the  Lord 
went  on  in  that  parish,  67  were  added  to  the  church,  225 
baptized,  and  85  married.  He  published  while  here,  a 
sermon  on  repentance  ;  also  a  Thanksgiving  sermon, 
Psalm  cxxxvir,  5,  6,  entitled,  love  of  our  country. 

Mr.  Allen,   the    present  minister   followed  him,  and  is 


44 

too  well  known  by  you  to  need  any  description  of  his  char- 
acter, and  too  much  respected  to  need  any  praise  from 
me.  He  was  ordained  June  8th,  1781;  since  which  time 
there  have  been  two  considerable  revivals,  one  in  the  year 
1806,  the  other  in  1812,  which  produced  an  observable 
change  in  the  state  of  that  people,  as  well  as  in  the 
feelings  and  life  of  their  venerable  pastor.  During  his 
ministry,  eighty-five  have  been  added  to  the  church,  one 
hundred  and  eighty -one  baptized,  two  hundred  and  one 
married.  May  God  grant  that  he  may  still  see  the  fruit 
of  his  labors,  and  many  souls,  among  his  people,  gathered 
into  the  fold  of  Christ,  before  he  sleeps  with  the  gen- 
eration of  the  dead.  I  have  every  reason  to  reverence 
and  respect  him  for  the  very  kind  attention  I  have  uni- 
formly received  from  him  since  my  settlement  in  this 
place. 

This  parish  was,  as  we  observed,  set  off  and  incorpo- 
rated in  June  1726,  immediately  upon  which  the  peo- 
ple set  about  erecting  a  house  for  public  worship,  and 
placed  it  as  you  all  know,  but  a  little  distance  from  the 
one  in  which  we  are  now  assembled.  The  first  parish 
meeting  was  held  the  4th  of  July  1726  ;  Samuel  Tenny 
was  moderator.  On  the  8th  of  November  this  year,  they 
voted  unanimously  to  invite  Mr.  William  Balch  to  preach 
with  them,  and  on  the  13th  of  March  following,  they 
gave  him  a  call  to  settle  with  them,  and  for  his  support 
to  give  him  one  hundred  pounds  settlement,  one  hun- 
dred pounds  salary,  the  improvement  of  the  parsonage 
house  and  lot ;  and  if  at  the  end  of  four  years  Mr.  Balch 
should  signify  under  his  own  hand,  that  this  was  not 
enough  for  his  comfortable  support,  they  would  add  ten 
more,  and  if  after  experiment  this  was  not  found  enough, 
they  would  add  another  ten  pounds.  Mr.  Balch,  after 
some  alteration,  mutually  agreed  on  in  the  proposals,  ac- 
cepted the  call  and  was  ordained  accordingly.  I  do  not 
know  that  I  can  gratify  3^our  expectations  better  in  re- 
gard to  the  character  of  Mr.  Balch,  and  the  circumstances 


45 

of  his  ministry  in  this  place,  than  to  read  to  you  the  ac- 
count given  in  Eliot's  Biographical  Dictionary,  which  is 
as  follows: — 

"William  Baleh,  minister  of  the  second  church  in  Brad- 
ford, was  born  at  Beverly  in  1704.  He  possessed  strong- 
powers  of  mind ;  few  of  our  New-England  divines  have 
surpassed  him  in  clearness  of  perception,  comprehension 
of  understanding  or  soundness  of  judgment.  The  sim- 
plicity of  his  manners  was  peculiar,  and  he  had  a  soft- 
ness and  benevolence  in  his  disposition,  which  he  discov- 
ered on  occasions,  where  most  men  would  have  been  ir- 
ritated. He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  1724,  or- 
dained 1728,  and  died  1792,  aged  88.  The  first  years  of 
his  ministry  wei'e  spent  in  peace  and  harmony  with  his 
people,  and  the  neighbouring  churches.  At  length  a  spir- 
it of  disorganization  prevailed  in  many  places,  especially 
in  the  town  near  the  Merrimack  river.  Nine  members 
of  Mr.  Balch's  church  declared  themselves  dissatisfied  with 
the  preaching  of  their  minister,  and  made  a  formal  com- 
plaint to  the  brethren.  The  church  thought  the  com- 
plaint unreasonable,  and  refused  to  act  upon  it.  Hence 
the  aggrieved  party  applied  to  a  neighbouring  church,  to 
admonish  their  pastor  and  brethren,  according  to  the  di- 
rection of  the  platform,  hy  the  third  way  of  communion. 
The  church  voted  to  call  a  council  of  the  neighbouring 
churches,  and  the  result  was  signed  by  the  moderator,  the 
venerable  John  Barnard,  minister  of  the  first  church  in 
Andover,  blaming  the  conduct  of  those  who  complained, 
and  approved  the  doings  of  the  cliurch.  Mr.  Balch  published 
the  whole  proceedings  in  a  quarto  pamphlet,  containing 
the  letters  that  passed  between  him  and  the  first  church 
in  Gloucester,  and  the  transactions  of  both  churches,  till 
the  dispute  was  settled.  This  was  printed  in  1744.  Two 
years  after  the  parochial  difference,  Messrs.  Wigglesworth 
of  Ipswich,  and  Chipman  of  Beverly,  made  a  serious  at- 
tack upon  their  brother  for  propagating  Arminian  tenets, 
and  wrote  an  able  defence  of  the  doctrines  of  Calvin,  whicli 


46 

were  generally  the  sentiments  of  the  New-England  plant- 
ers. It  seems  the  former  controversy  began  in  1644,  by  a 
declaration  of  the  aggrieved  brethren,  that  "their  pastor 
propagated  doctrines,  not  agreeing  with  the  confession  of 
faith  of  these  Congregational  churches  ;  and  also,  that  the 
church  neglected  the  proper  means  of  convicting  said  pas- 
tor of  his  errors."  The  gentleman  who  wrote  against  him 
in  1746,  had  been  assisting  those  who  complained;  and 
they  were  not  satisfied  with  the  result  of  the  council. 
Their  work,  however,  had  no  otlier  effect  than  to  draw 
from  Mr.  B.  a  most  able  reply,  in  which  he  manifested  a 
temper  that,  with  all  his  meekness,  could  feel  rebuke. 
There  is[in  it]much  keen  satire,  mingled  with  sensible  re- 
marks and  solid  argument.  The  separatists  in  Bradford, 
after  this,  built  a  meeting-house  for  themselves  and  the 
disaffected  members  of  other  churches.  Mr.  Balch  lived 
to  a  crood  old  age.  His  own  flock  esteemed  and  loved  him, 
and  when  he  was  advanced  in  yeavs  settled  a  colleague 
He  lived  retired  and  was  fond  of  husbandry,  and  the  fruit 
of  his  orchard  was  said  to  be  the  best  in  the  county  of  Essex. 
He  was  fond  of  the  comj)any  of  young  men  of  talents,  and 
had  fine  colloquial  powers,  especially  in  discussing  theo- 
logical subjects.  Being  very  desirous  to  read  every  thing 
upon  Ethics  and  Metaphysics,  he  made  many  enquiries 
which  discovered,  freedom  of  thought,  and  proved  the  en- 
ergy of  his  mind  did  not  fail  him  in  those  j^ears,  when  our 
strength  is  labour  and  sorrow. 

P.  S.  His  publications  are,  a  discourse  upon  self-right- 
eousness, in  which  he  declares  what  are  false  confidences, 
from  the  parable  of  the  Pliarisee  and  Publican,  1742 — 
election  sermon,  1749.  His  account  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  council  and  his  reply  to  Messrs.  W.  &  C.  make  two 
pamphlets  of  more  than  fifty  pages. 

I  have  but  little  to  add  to  this  account  of  Mr.  Balch.  So 
far  as  I  am  able  to  judge  from  the  knowledge  I  have  of 
Mr.  Balcli,  and  the  circumstances  of  his  ministry  here, 
I  am  disposed  to  think  the  statement  made  in  the  above 


47 

extract,  in  regard  to  facts,  is  fair  and  correct,  and  will  en- 
able those  of  you  who  have  only  heard  of  these  things,  to 
form  as  correct  an  idea  about  this  venerable  man,  and 
the  circumstances  of  his  ministry,  as  anything  which 
could  be  said  in  the  limits  allowed  to  a  discourse. 

In  regard  to  the  sentiments  which  formed  the  subject 
of  controversy  between  them,  it  will  be  of  no  importance 
for  me  to  decide.  All  the  parties  liave  long  since  ap- 
peared before  their  judge.  1  should,  however,  think  my- 
self faulty,  did  I  not  suppose  I  had  given  you  an  oppor- 
tunity of  knowing  my  own  views  of  these  doctrines, 
for  the  correctness  of  which,  I  shall  also  have  to  give  ac- 
count. 

So  far  as  discipline  was  concerned,  the  simple  question 
between  the  parties  to  be  decided  is,  whether  those  of  the 
church  and  neighbourhood,  who  wei'e  in  sentiment  Cal- 
vinistic,  had  a  right,  according  to  the  then  allowed  organ- 
ization of  the  church,  to  deal  with  Mr.  Balch  and  other 
members  of  the  church,  who  they  thought  were  Armin- 
ian?  And  in  the  decision  of  this  question  it  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed, there  will  be  now,  as  there  certainly  was  then, 
a  diversity  of  sentiment.  Before  the  death  of  Mr.  Balch, 
several  of  his  opponents  became  reconciled  to  him.  One 
of  them  came  to  him  and  made  formal  and  humble  ac- 
knowledgment that  he  had  wronged  him,  and  from  the 
character  of  Mr.  Balch,  we  have  no  reason  to  question, 
but  he  heartily  forgave  him. 

The  last  days  of  Mr.  Balch,  were  calm  and  serene,  and 
with  the  expression,  "Come  Lord  Jesus,  I  am  readj^,"  he 
fell  asleej). 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  know,  that  Mr.  Balch 
was  a  descendant  of  Mr.  John  Balch,  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  Beverly,  who  moved  there  from  Dorchester,  concerning 
whom  Rev.  Mr.  White,  one  of  the  chief  founders  under  God 
of  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  says,  "he  was  an  honest  and 
good  man."  Beside  the  publications  mentioned  above,  Mr. 
Balch  published  a  sermon  preached  at  the  formation  of  the 


48 

second  church  in  Rowley,  entitled  "The  duty  of  a  christ- 
ian cluirch  to  manage  their  affairs  with  charity,"  1  Cor. 
XVI.  14.  And  also  a  sermon  preached  before  the  conven- 
tion of  Congregational  ministers. 

His  tombstone  has  the  following  inscription. 

Erected  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  William  Balch, 
first  pastor  of  the  church  in  this  place,  who  departed  this 
life  January  the  12th,  A.  D.  1792,  and  in  the  88th  year  of 
his  age,  and  64th  of  his  ministr}-. 

After  Mr.  Balch,  through  the  infirmities  of  age  become 
unable  to  discharge  the  duties  of  a  pastor,  an  arrangement 
was  made  for  settling  a  colleague,  several  candidates  were 
employed,  one  of  wliom  Mr.  Chaplin  from  Rowley,  now  of 
Groton,  received  an  invitation  to  setttle,  and  gave  an  an- 
swer in  the  affirmative.  But  as  objections  rose  up  before 
his  ordination,  a  council  was  called  and  he  was  released. 
There  was  nothing  however  in  these  objections  which  bore 
unfavourably  upon  the  ministerial  character  of  Mr.  Chap- 
lin. The  effect  of  this  was,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
the  parish  was  divided  into  parties,  and  a  great  many 
persons  were  heard  upon  trial,  before  one  was  found  in 
whom  they  could  unite.  But  at  length  he  who  giveth 
pastors,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  committee  of 
supplies,  brought  Mr.  Ebenezer  Dutch  to  this  place.  His 
first  sermon  from  the  text,  "buy  the  truth  and  sell  it  not," 
pleased  all  and  united  all.  And  in  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1779,  both  church  and  parish  gave  an  unanimous  vote 
for  his  settlement,  with  the  exception  of  an  individual, 
who  said  he  voted  against  him  to  take  off  the  curse  pro- 
nounced against  those  of  whom  all  speak  well.  A  great 
abuse  certainly  of  the  real  intention  of  that  scripture.  Mr. 
Dutch  accepted  the  invitation,  and  was  ordained  Novem- 
ber 17,  1779. 

Mr.  Dutch  was  born  in  Ipswich,  was  graduated  at  Prov- 
idence College  in  1776.  So  far  as  books  are  concerned, 
I  suppose  though  respectable,  he   had  less   learning  than 


49 

any  of  his  predecessors.  He  was  a  man  however  of  an 
active,  ready  mind,  possessed  naturally  great  powers  of 
speech,  and  when  his  feelings  were  particularly  engaged, 
was  as  one  certainly  able  to  judge  says,  a  man  of  "empas- 
sioned  eloquence,"  and  could  without  preparation  hold 
forth  on  any  subject  connected  with  his  profession,  with 
great  ease  to  himself  and  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
hearers.  He  was  a  man  of  quick  feelings,  and  was  in  con- 
sequence often  put  off  his  guard.  This  produced  excen- 
tricities,  and  contradictions,  and  irregularities  in  his  con- 
duct. And  all  will  lament  to  say  or  think,  that  he  engaged 
for  a  time  too  much  in  speculations  of  a  worldly  nature, 
a  circumstance  which  proved  injurious  not  only  to  his 
name  but  finally  to  his  estate.  But  he  that  repenteth  and 
forsaketh  his  sin  shall  find  mercy.  No  one  was  more  sensi- 
ble of  his  mistake,  sin  if  you  will  have  it  so,  than  Mr.  Dutch 
himself  finally  became,  and  certainly  no  one  more  sorry 
for  it.  Most  of  you  will  recollect  the  sermon  he  preached 
from  these  words,  "cut  it  down  why  cumbereth  it  the 
ground,"  after  he  became  sensible  of  his  errors,  and  also 
the  acknowledgments  he  made  on  this  occasion.  His  con- 
victions were  followed  by  amendment  of  life,  for  if  in  the 
middle  part  of  his  ministry  the  cares  of  this  world  occupied 
too  much  of  his  time,  there  was  a  most  thorough  reform, 
and  no  one  could  well  be  more  diligent  and  faithful  than  he 
was  the  few  last  years  of  his  life  ;  and  God  be  blessed  he  was 
permitted  to  see  the  fruits  of  his  labour.  Many  in  this 
place  must  acknowledge  him  as  their  father  in  Christ. 
His  death  as  you  all  know,  was  very  sudden,  but  the  little 
time  spared  him,  after  he  felt  its  approach,  was  spent  in 
personal  devotion,  in  words  of  exhortation,  of  comfort 
and  reproof  to  those  who  came  around  him  according  as 
their  particular  circumstances  seemed  to  require.  He  de- 
parted this  life  the  5th  of  August,  1813,  aged  62,  in  the  thir- 
ty-fourth year  of  his  ministry.  During  his  ministry  there 
were  147  which  were  received  to  the  church,  218  married. 
He  did  not  keep  an   account  of  baptisms,  a  circumstance 


50 

much  to  be  regretted.  He  must  have  administered  this  ordi- 
nance to  about  three  hundred.  Mr.  Dutch  published 
two  sermons,  one  preached  at  the  dedication  of  this  house, 
the  other  after  the  death  of  the  first  Mrs.  Dutch. 

His  tomb  stone   has  the  following  Inscription. 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Dutch  departed  this    life,  August   4th, 
1813,  aged  62. 

As  priests  of  old,  so  christian  pastors  die. 

But  Christ  the  Lord,  the  great  High  Priest  on  high. 

And  the  good  Shepherd,- ever  lives  to  save 

Those,  for  vrhose  ransom,  his  own  blood  he  gave, 

His  church,  he  ever  will  defend  and  feed. 

And  bring  to  endless  life,  a  numerous  seed. 

Those  pastors,  will  a  crown  of  glory  wear, 

"Who  feed  his  lambs  and  sheep  with  faithful  care. 

Your  present  pastor  was  ordained  the  28th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1814.  Since  his  coming  among  you,  to  January  this 
year,  there  have  been  "33  added  to  the  church,  47  infants 
and  12  adults  baptized,  70  deaths,  200  births-,  and  34  mar- 
riages. 

I  should  be  considered  guilty  of  an  important  omission 
did  I  not  give  some  account  of  singing  as  it  has  been 
performed  in  our  churches.  A  special  attention  to  this 
lovely  part  of  public  worship  was  excited  by  the  younger 
Symraes.  Till  his  time  the  practice  was  to  read  one  or 
two  lines  and  then  to  sing  them.  A  practice  which 
prevailed  universally  in  the  early  settlement  of  this  coun- 
try. He  prevailed  with  the  people  to  alter  their  practice 
in  this  respect,  and  was  so  happy  by  his  exertions  as  to 
excite  an  attention,  indeed  to  create  a  taste  for  this  part 
of  worship,  which  has  in  a  degree  continued  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  Perhaps  few  towns  have  been  favored  for 
a  longer  time  with  decent  performance  of  this  duty.  In 
this  parish,  I  do  not  know  but  in  both  since  the  division 
of  the  town,  there  has  been  a  greater  union  of  feeling 
and  harmony  of  action,  than  is  always  found  among 
those  who  join  in  this  service.  I  have  not  learned  of 
more  than  one  considerable  interruption  of  this  good  feel- 
ing in  this  parish  since  its  incorporation.     And  this  con- 


51 

troversy  was  soon~settled  to  the  mutual  and  general  sat- 
isfaction by  some  wise  regulation  adopted  by  the  parish. 
There  is  now  a  large  number  of  persons  well  acquainted 
with  the  rules  of  this  science,  and  several  who,  if  occa- 
sion called,  could  with  great  credit,  take  the  lead  in  the 
choir.  For  this  we  are  in  a  great  measure  indebted  to 
the  exertions  and  skill  of  the  one  who  has,  for  many 
years,  had  the  conduct  of  singing  in  this  place.  To 
whom  this  society  is  under  great  obligations  for  the  part 
he  has  taken  in  this  business,  and  I  apprehend  the  pub- 
lic acknowledgment  of  this  sentiment  is  nothing  more 
than  what  is  his  just  due.* 

I  should  not  however  leave  proper  impressions  of  my 
ideas  concerning  the  style  of  our  music,  did  I  not  ob- 
serve there  is  in  it  a  degree  of  harshness,  perhaps  I  ought 
to  add  noise,  which  very  much  diminishes  the  pleasure, 
if  not  the  moral  and  religious  effects  which  would  other- 
wise be  received  from  it.  I  know  there  are  exertions 
now  making  to  remedy  this  evil,  and  as  all  seem  sensi- 
ble of  the  need  of  reformation,  I  cannot  but  hope  these 
exertions  will  be  followed  with  the  most  perfect   success. 

Having  thus  called  to  your  recollection  some  of  the 
most  important  and  interesting  events  connected  with  the 
history  of  this  town,  most  of  them,  I  know,  important 
and  interesting  to  none  but  ourselves,  I  shall  conclude 
with  a  few  observations  which  seem  to  arise  from  the 
subjects  before  us.     And 

1st.  The  people  in  this  town  have  the  greatest  reason 
for  gratitude  for  the  good  and  pleasant  land  which  the 
Lord  their  God  has  given  them.  *  Very  few  people  are 
more  favored  in  this  respect  than  the  people  of  this 
place.  When  they  sow  their  seed  it  does  really  fall 
into  that  good  ground  which  bringeth  forth,  some  thirty, 
some  sixty,  and  some  a  hundred  fold.  But  it  is  not  only 
those  who  get  their  riches  from  the  increase  of  the  field, 
who  have  reason  to  say  their    lines  have  fallen  to  them 

*  Captain  Phineas  Ilardy. 


52 

in  pleasant  places,  for  such  is  the  nature  of  business 
here,  that  all  who  are  disposed  may  find  full  employ- 
ment, and  employments  suited  to  their  capacities  whether 
in  the  dawn  of  life,  or  arrived  to  the  strength  and 
vigour  of  manhood,  or  sinking  under  the  infirmities  of 
age.  There  may  be  places  where  large  possessions  can 
be  more  readily  acquired,  but  I  question  whether  there 
is  one  in  this  commonwealth,  where  means  of  comforta- 
ble living  can  be  more  easily  obtained,  or  indeed  where 
they  are  more  generally  enjoyed.  And  it  would  be  easy 
by  the  mention  of  individuals,  to  support  the  declaration, 
that  here  also  the  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich. 
If  these  things  are  so,  and  I  appeal  to  all  sober  minded 
and  considerate  persons  for  the  truth  of  them,  I  would 
ask  whether,  except  in  instances  of  real  misfortunes, 
those  who  are  destitute  of  things  necessary  and  conven- 
ient, have  not  great  reason  to  look  for  the  real  cause, 
in  some  fault  or  folly  of  their  own. 

2d.  From  the  care  this  town  has  taken  to  select  out 
and  appoint  to  office  men  of  good  report,  those  who  looked 
not  only  to  their  own  things,  but  also  to  the  things  of 
others,  the  public  concerns  of  this  town  have  been  wisely 
and  prudently  conducted ;  very  few  instances  occur,  from 
the  earliest  settlement  to  the  present  time,  of  any  con- 
siderable default  in  any  of  the  officers  in  the  town.  And 
in  consequence  of  the  measures  the  town  has  at  differ- 
ent times  adopted  to  preserve  order  in  their  assemblies, 
the  meetings  for  the  transaction  of  town  and  parish 
business,  have  generally  been  decent  and  orderly,  thus 
affording  all  present  an  opportunity  to  see  and  hear  what 
was  doing  and  of  acting  understandingiy,  in  the  parts 
they  took  in  the  various  business  brought  before  them. 
And  though  in  the  various  transactions  of  the  town 
for  170  years,  there  must  have  been  in  many  instances 
a  diversity  of  sentiment  and  judgment,  yet  upon  the 
whole  there  is  upon  the  records  great  evidence  of  a  gen- 
eral disposition  to  think  and  act  together. 


53 

3d.  From  what  the  town  has  done  to  furnish  instruc- 
tion to  the  rising  generation.  A  knowledge  competent 
to  the  conduct  of  the  common  concerns  of  life,  has  been 
acquired  by  most  who  have  lived  in  this  town,  and  there 
have  always  been  a  competent  number  of  well  instructed 
persons,  able  to  transact  all  the  business  of  the  town 
in  a  correct  and  orderly  way.  The  public  records  have 
been  well  kept,  and  I  should  be  guilty  of  an  omission 
did  I  not  observe  this  has  been  particularly  the  case 
since  they  have  been  in  the  hands  of  the  present  clerk, 
who  has  served  the  town  in  this  office  about  twenty 
years.*  And  though  there  have  v:ot  risen  many  men, 
strictly  called  great,  yet  there  have  been  those  respectable 
in  the  councils  of  the  State,  and  distinguished  on  the  bat- 
tle ground.  Tnere  have  also  been  and  still  are  in  the 
several  professions,  men  whom  the  town  calls  her  sons, 
with  whose  standing  in  life  she  has  much  reason  to  be 
satisfied. 

4th.  From  the  part  the  town,  in  common  with  others, 
took  in  the  great  enterprise  which  gave  independence  to 
these  United  States,  you  enjoy  a  free  government,  equal 
laws,  and  a  mild  administration  ;  your  personal,  civil 
and  religious  lights  are  all  secured  to  you;  your  nobles 
are  of  yourself^  and  your  governours  proceed  from  the 
midst  of  you.  There  is  indeed  no  other  nation  upon  the 
globe,  where  the  people  are  so  free  and  happy,  where 
the  means  of  comfortable,  I  may  say  genteel  subsistence, 
can  be  so  generally  acquired,  or  where  every  one  has 
so  full  and  unrestrained  an  opportunity  of  directing  his 
talents  and  labors  in  the  way  and  to  the  purposes  most 
agreeable  to  himself. 

5th.  In  consequence  of  the  exertions  which  the  people 
of  this  town  have  made,  to  enjoy  in  a  decent  and  com- 
fortable way,  the  ordinances  of  religion,  they  have  been 
furnished  with  convenient  places  for  holding  their  reli- 
gious assemblies.     Six  houses  have  been  erected  for  this 

*  William  Greenough,  Esq. 


54 

purpose,  two  by  the  town,  while  they  worshipped  to- 
gether, one  by  the  west  parish,  two  by  this  parish,  and 
one  by  those  who  separated  from  this  because  of  their 
disaffection  to  Mr.  Balch.  Three  of  these  like  those 
who  worshipped  in  them,  have  fallen  under  the  weight 
of  years.  Two  of  them  are  now  standing  in  this  town, 
and  afford  convenience  to  those  who  are  disposed  to 
worship  God  in  company,  and  so  prepare  for  a  better 
country,  where  the  righteous  will  find  a  building  not 
made  with  hands,  eternal  and  in  the  heavens,  large 
enough  for  the  whole  congregation  of  the  just. 

6.  The  people  have  not  only  had  houses  for  public 
worship,  they  have  had  ministers  of  the  Lord  also,  to 
lead  in  the  services  of  these  sanctuaries.  Very  few  years 
I  believe,  hardly  seven  in  the  whole,  since  1668,  have 
passed,  but  the  people  have  beheld  their  teacher.  And 
even  during  the  short  intervals  which  have  passed,  be- 
tween the  removal  of  one  and  the  settlement  of  another 
pastor,  the  pulpits  have  been  so  supplied,  that  for  170 
years,  hardly  a  sabbath  has  passed,  but  the  word  of 
God  has  been  read  and  explained  in  the  public  congrega- 
tions of  the  people,  and  I  shall  be  supported  by  all 
who  have  knowledge  on  the  subject,  when  I  say  for  the 
most  part,  by  those  who  were  able  to  teach  and  wil- 
ling to  wait  on  the  things  of  the  ministry.  If  there  is 
any  advantage  then  in  the  constant  enjoyment  of  an  able 
and  faithful  ministry,  this  town  has  had  it  as  fully,  I 
presume,  as  any  other  town  in  the  Commonwealth. 
What  improvement  individuals  have  made  of  the  price 
thus  put  into  their  hands  to  get  wisdom,  must  be  left 
to  the  decision  of  the  great  day.  That  there  are  real 
and  substantial  benefits  connected  with  the  ministry  of 
the  word  and  ordinances,  is  as  certain  as  the  word  of 
God  and  the  history  of  the  church  can  make  it.  Both 
the  word  of  God  and  the  history  of  ages,  teach  us  that, 
faith  Cometh  hy  hearing,  and  that  by  the  foolishness  of 
preaching  it  pleases  God  to  save  those  that  are  lost.    The 


55 

records  of  our  churches  bear  evidence,  that  this  ordi- 
nance of  the  Lord  has  not  been  in  vain  in  this  place. 
For  previous  to  the  separation  of  the  town  into  parishes, 
there  were  399  gathered  into  the  visible  church  ;  since  that 
time  333  have  been  added  to  the  church  in  the  west 
parish,  542  to  that  in  this,  making-  1284  in  all.  While 
the  town  worshipped  together  there  were  837  baptized, 
since  that  1175  have  been  served  with  this  ordinance  in 
the  west  parish ;  and  if  our  calculations  concerning  the 
number  baptized  by  Mr.  Dutch  be  correct,  something 
more  than  a  1000  in  this,  making  together  more  than  3000. 
Of  those  who  have  made  profession  of  religion,  about 
1100  had  received  the  ordinances  of  baptism  in  infancy, 
the  remainder,  amounting  to  about  184,  were  baptized 
upon  profession.  And  now,  in  review  of  these  facts  let 
us,  with  the  full  impression  of  the  immense  value  of 
souls  upon  our  minds,  ask  ourselves  whether  the  hope- 
ful piety  of  1284  persons,  who  actually  professed  reli- 
gion together  with  those  who  may  have  obtained  a  sav- 
ing interest  in  Christ,  but  did  not,  from  various  causes, 
unite  outwardly  with  his  visible  kindom,  and  also  the 
baptism  of  nearly  half  of  all  who  have  lived  and  died 
in  this  place,  is  not  more  than  a  hundred  fold  reward 
for  all  the  expense  the  town  has  been  at,  to  support  the 
worship  and  ordinances  of  God.  Or  even,  if  you  suppose 
many  may  have  professed  the  name  of  Christ,  who  not- 
withstanding had  not  received  him  into  their  hearts, 
would  not  those  who  remain  after  all  the  deductions 
that  you  can  think  ought  to  be  made,  be  a  more  than  full 
return  for  all  that  has  been  done  in  this  place,  to  pro- 
mote the  salvation  of  souls. 

7.  And  to  the  question.  What  profit  is  there  in  baptism? 
do  not  the  records  of  our  churches  reply  as  an  apostle 
did  in  relation  to  another  ordinance,  whose  real  design 
bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  this?  Much  every  way. 
About  one  third  of  all,  who  have  in  this  town  been  served 
in  early  life  with    this    ordinance,  have    in    mature    age 


56     , 

made  a  profession  of  faith  in  Christ  in  some  of  our 
churches.  It  is  known  also  that  many,  who  received  this 
ordinance  in  this  place,  have  professed  Christ  in  other 
towns  to  which  they  had  in  the  providence  of  God  re- 
moved. Above  three  hundred  are  still  living,  concern- 
ing whom  both  the  promises  of  God  and  the  past  history 
of  our  churches,  justify  us  in  the  hope  that  many  of  them 
will,  at  some  time,  do  better  things  than  to  continue  in  un- 
belief. While  from  among  a  greater  number  who  had 
not  this  seal  of  the  covenant  put  upon  them,  something 
short  of  two  hundred  have  in  after  life  confessed  Christ 
before  men.  I  make  these  observations  in  relation  to 
facts  connected  with  the  history  of  redeeming  love  in 
this  place — facts  too,  which  call  for  the  serious  consid- 
eration of  all  who  make  the  things  of  religion  the  sub- 
ject of  their  concern  ;  bearing  in  my  own  breast,  at  the 
same  time  feelings  of  good  will  towards  those  who  differ 
from  me,  in  regard  to  the  requirement  of  God  respecting 
the  proper  subject  of  this  ordinance.  And  I  hope  I  shall 
be  believed  when  I  say,  it  is  my  earnest  prayer  that  all 
in  this  place,  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  may 
really  love  one  another,  and  so  doing  we  shall  have 
reason  to  hope,  if  in  anything  we  be  differently  minded, 
G-od  ivill  in  due  time  reveal  even  this  unto  us. 

8.  But  when  we  have  the  greatest  reason  to  thank 
God  because  so  much  good  has  resulted  from  the  enjoy- 
ment of  his  ordinances  in  this  town,  we  have  also  reason 
for  the  deepest  regret  that  so  many  have  apparently 
neglected  this  salvation.  The  whole  number  who  have 
lived  and  died  or  do  still  live  in  this  town,  according  to  the 
best  counting  I  can  make,  is  about  7000,  of  Avhom,  as  we 
have  alread}'  mentioned,  1'284  have  made  open  profes- 
sion of  having  obtained  a  saving  interest  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  If  we  should  reduce  this  number,  by  tak- 
ing from  it  all,  who  may  have  been  suspected  of  having 
a  name  to  live,  while  they  were  really  dead,  and  compare 
what  are  left  with  those  who   made   no  pretentions  to  re- 


57 

ligion,  and  those  the  world  judged  to  have  none,  what  a 
striking  illustration  shall  we  have  of  the  words  of  the 
Saviour,  That  wide  is  the  gate'  and  broad  is  the  way  that 
leadeth  to  destruction  and  many  there  he  that  go  in  thereat  ; 
"while  strait  is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth 
unto  life  and  few  there  he  that  find  it.  A  number  may 
be  considerable  in  itself,  and  yet  comparatively  small, 
and  such  is  the  case  in  relation  to  those  who  have  in 
this  town  professed  an  interest  in  Christ  ;  128-1:  persons 
gathered  into  his  visible  kingdom,  and  in  charitable  hope 
saved  from  wrath  through  him,  is  such  a  display  of  di- 
vine goodness  and  such  an  overflowing  return  for  all 
that  has  been  done  here  to  promote  his  cause,  we  can  nev- 
er sufficiently  adore  His  unspeakable  grace,  whose  Spirit 
has  done  all  this.  And  yet  how  lamentable  to  reflect,  a 
number  five  fold  greater  have  neglected  the  offers  of  sal- 
vation. Does  it  not,  my  friends,  seem  strange  that  so 
many,  who  lived  before  you,  with  all  the  advantages  they 
enjoyed  for  acquainting  themselves  with  God  so  as  to  be 
at  peace  with  him ;  advantages  too,  which  others  im- 
proved to  their  salvation,  should  notwithstanding  con- 
tinue impenitent  and  unbelieving  ;  and  is  it  not  equally 
strange  that  3'ou,  who  are  this  day  without  faith,  should 
walk  in  the  same  way  of  unbelief,  ^our  advantages  for 
attending  to  the  concerns  of  your  souls  are  great,  and 
your  opportunities  for  religious  instruction  numerous ; 
what  reasons  then  have  you  for  thus  neglecting  the  offers 
of  recovering  mercy  and  pardoning  grace  ?  Or  what  is 
there  in  your  case,  which  in  the  place  of  torment  will 
prove  any  such  alleviation  to  your  sufferings  as  to  justify 
you  in  the  present  neglect  of  this  gi-eat  salvation.  The 
space  afforded  you  to  make  your  peace  with  God  is 
passing  swiftly  away.  Consider  the  former  generations. 
Our  fathers  where  are  they  ?  Four  generations  since 
the  settlement  of  this  town  all  sleep  the  sleep  of  death. 
Of  the  fifth  but  here  and  there  one  remains  to  tell  us  of 
the  years  that  are  past,  while  those  of  the  sixth  pass  for 


58 

old  men  and  old  women  among  us.  And  the  prophets^  do 
they  live  for  ever  ?  Six,  who  have  ministered  here  in 
holy  things,  have  been  gathered  to  the  fathers,  all  but 
one  of  whom  slumber  in  the  same  ground  with  those  who 
received  instruction  from  their  lips.  These  all  rest  from 
their  labours,  and  their  works  have  followed  them.  And 
you,  my  friends,  will  soon  sleep  in  the  same  dust.  Give  all 
diligence  then  to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure.  For 
though  they  sleep,  though  the  earth  has  received  them 
out  of  our  sight,  and  the  grave  has  closed  upon  them, 
the  Lord  hath  his  eye  upon  them,  counts  their  numbers, 
weighs  all  their  dust  in  a  balance,  writes  all  their  mem- 
bers in  his  book ;  not  a  part  will  be  lost,  not  an  indi- 
vidual will  be  overlooked,  not  one  be  left  unrecovered 
from  the  ground  ; — they  will  all  rise  and  come  forth  out 
of  their  graves,  and  you  will  rise  also  and  come  forth 
out  of  your  graves,  and  we  shall  all  meet  at  the  judg- 
ment seat  of  Christ.  At  that  time  and  at  that  place,  you 
will  meet  with  all,  whose  names  have  been  called  to 
recollection  this  day,  and  all,  who  have  lived  in  this 
town,  and  indeed  with  all,  who  have  lived  in  all  other 
towns,  states  and  kingdoms.  What  a  solemn  and  inter- 
esting day !  The  Judge  of  quick  and  dead  will  then  be 
upon  his  seat,  the  books  open,  the  trumpet  sounding,  the 
universe  assembling.  Towns  and  parishes,  their  pastors 
as  their  leaders,  in  company  approaching  the  final  tri- 
bunal ;  heaven  and  hell,  the  everlasting  dwellings  of  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked,  in  view,  and  nothing  remain- 
ing but  the  awful  sentence  to  be  pronounced,  and  the 
condition  of  all  is  fixed  for  ever 

"  A  point  of  time,  a  moment's  space, 
Removes  us  to  yon  heavenlj'  place, 
Or locks  us  up  in  hell." 

My  friends,  is  it  not  prudent  to  prepare  beforehand 
for  this  solemn,  interesting  day  ;  and,  since  all  your  ac- 
tions are  written  in  the  book  of  the    chronicles    kept  in 


59 

heaven,  to  see  that  jour  names  are  also  recorded  in  the 
book  of  life. 

Now  UNTO  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  you  from 

FALLING  AND  TO  PRESENT  YOU  FAULTLESS  BEFORE  THE 
PRESENCE  OF  HiS  GLORY  WITH  EXCEEDING  JOY,  TO 
THE  ONLY  WISE  GOD  OUR  SAVIOUR  BE  GLORY  AND 
MAJESTY,  DOMINION  AND  POWER  BOTH  NOW  AND  FOR 
EVER. — AMEN. 


ERRATA. 

Page  8,  7th  line  from  the  top,  for  1700,  read  1750 

Page  15,  3d  line  from  the  top,  for  have  been  given  orders,  read  orders 
have  been  given. 

Page  53,  2d  line  from  the  top,  for  to  January  this  year,  read  in  Janu- 
ary that  year. 


APPENDIX, 

Containing  a  number  of  interestiiig  facts,  some  omitted 
by  mistake  in  copying  the  discourse  for  the  press,  others 
of  such  a  nature,  as  could  not  well  be  introduced  into 
tlie  body  of  the  discourse,  and  a  few  not  known  at  the 
time. 

1.  The  first  person  born  in  Rowley,  on  record,  was 
Edward  Carlton,  born  1639,  ancestor  of  those  of  that 
name  in  this  town.  The  other  persons  born  this  year, 
were  Thomas  Migall,  ancestor  of  the  first  Mrs.  Dutch, 
Jonathan  Lambert,  Jonathan  Remmington,  and  Mary 
Jackson.  William  Tenny,  the  great  grandfather  of  our 
Deacon  Tenny,  was  born  1640,  and  was  chosen  Deacon 
in  1667  ;  and  it  is  a  circumstance  worthy  of  notice,  that 
there  have  been  in  our  churches  of  his  descendants,  per- 
sons bearing  that  office,  from  that  time  to  the  present 
dav  ;  and  several  of  the  same  family  have  held  the  same 
office  in  other  churches.  In  October,  1639,  Robert  and 
Anna  Haseltine  were  married  ;  the  first  couple  on  record. 
November  14,  1682,  Anah  widow  of  Robert  Haseltine 
and  Anah  widow  of  Thomas  Hardy,  were  received  into 
the  church  in  this  town  ;  and  were  as  a  note  attached 
to  the  church  records  by  Mr.  Symmes,  informs  us,  the 
first  received  by  confession.  The  first  birth  recorded 
in  this  town,  is  that  of  Martha  Wilford,  daughter  of 
Gilbert  Wilford,  born  January  18th,  1671.  The  first 
death  recorded,  is  that  of  John  Simmonds,  son  of  John 
Simmonds,  July  20th,  1671.  The  first  marriage,  is  that 
of  William  Hardy  and  Rath  Tenny,  May  3d,  1678. 
The  first  person  baptized,  was  Hannah,  daughter  of 
John  and  Hannah  Boynton,  December  11th,  1682. 


61 

2.  The  following  persons  have  held  the  office  of  Dea- 
con in  this  town. 

Time  of  appointment.     Names.  Deceased.  -Age. 

David  Haseltine,  ^    |  , 

Woodman,  |    5~ 

1712         Richard  Bailey,  V  1 1  _ 

1712         Samuel  Tenny,  :s-?| 

1718                       Hall.  J  III 

IN   THE   WEST   PARISH. 

1728  Moses  Day, 

1730  Joseph  Hall, 

1780  Thomas  Kimball, 

Thomas  Carlton, 

1745  David  Walker, 

1750  Moses  Day, 

1754  Stephen  Kimball, 

1762  Obediah  Kimball, 

1797  Richard  Walker, 

1804  John  Griffin, 

1806  John  Hasseltine, 

IN   THE   EAST   PAEISH. 

1727  Richard  Bailey, 

1728  William  Hardy,  died  1747.  aged  81 
1747         Jonathan  Tenny, 

1759  Nathaniel  Jewett,     removed  to  Hollis. 

1764  Timothy  Hardy,       Obt.  1777,  small  pox. 

1764  Phillip  Tenny,  Obt.  1783.  aged  77 

1777  William  Balch, 

1779  Thomas  Tenny, 
Phineas  Carlton, 

1797  William  Tenny, 

1804  Daniel  Stickney, 

1806  Thomas  Morse. 

It  is  appreliended  this  is  considerably  short  of  a  full 
catalogue  of  those  who  have  held  the  office  of  Deacon 
in  this  town,  particularly  of  those  who  were  in  office  be- 
fore the  town  was  divided  into  parishes.  Such  is  the 
writing  of  the  first  Mr.  Syrames,  I    have    not  been  able 


62 

yet  to  decypher  but  a  part  of  the  records  made  by  him,  and 
since  his  day  there  must  have  been  a  deficiency  in  record- 
ing the  names  of  those  called  to  the  office  of  Deacon, 
as  I  have  found  from  enquiry,  the  names  of  some  who 
are  not  upon  record,  or  I  have  been  so.  unfortunate,  after 
repeated  search,  as  not  to  notice  them.  In  the  conclusion 
of  this  article,  it  becomes  my  pleasing  duty  to  remark, 
that,  from  all  the  enquiry  that  I  have  made,  and  from 
the  evidence  afforded  by  the  records  of  the  church,  there 
is  the  greatest  reason  to  believe,  that  most  or  all  who 
have  been  appointed  to  this  office,  have  been  men  of 
honest  reiJort,  full  of  the  Holy  Grhost  and  wisdom^  who 
used  the  office  of  a  Deacon  well. 

March  the  18th,  1718,  Richard  Bailey  and  Samuel 
Tenny,  were,  agreeably  to  the  recommendation  of  the 
Cambridge  platform,  appointed  to  the  office  of  ruling 
Elders.  Of  the  former  of  these  I  have  no  particular 
knowledge,  farther  than  what  may  safely  be  inferred 
from  a  declaration  which  Mr.  T.  Symmes  has  left  on 
record,  as  what  he  himself  said  to  the  church  when  as- 
sembled to  appoint  persons  to  this  office  ;  that  he  "would 
be  content  if  they  would  appoint  the  two  aged  deacons 
to  the  office  of  Elders,"  of  whom  Mr.  Bailey  was  one. 
Of  Elder  Tenny,  who  was  the  other,  and  who  upon  the 
division  of  the  town  into  parishes,  was  appointed  to  the 
same  office  in  this  church,  it  would  be  easy  to  write  a 
considerable  of  a  volume,  filled  with  interesting  circum- 
stances. He  was,  I  apprehend,  both  by  nature  and 
grace,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  men  this  town  and 
ever  produced ;  and  as  he  grew  old,  was  truly  patri- 
archal. The  old  people,  now  living,  who  knew  him  in 
some  of  his  last  years,  recollect  with  pleasure  and  thank- 
fulness, the  good  instruction  he  gave  them  in  early  life. 
He  could  write  in  short  hand,  and  was  in  the  habit  of 
taking  off  the  sermons  he  heard,  and  used  to  spend  the 
intermission  on  sabbath  days,  in  reading  these  over  to 
the  people  who  stayed  at  the  meeting-house,   in  praying 


63 

with  them,  and  in  communicating  to  them  good  and 
wholesome  instruction.  As  he  deserved,  so  he  received 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  town,  being  in  most  of 
its  concerns,  preferred  to  those  offices  which  were  con- 
sidered the  most  respectable  or  involved  the  greatest 
trust.  One  anecdote  I  shall  record  not  because  it  is  the 
most  interesting  that  might  be  presented,  but  because  it 
may  be  instrumental  in  calling  the  attention  of  some, 
especially  of  the  rising  generation,  to  a  circumstance 
which  perhaps  they  do  not  sufficiently  think  of.  The 
old  gentleman  had  a  plum  tree  standing  by  the  road  a 
little  out  of  sight  from  the  house  which  on  a  certain  year, 
bore  pretty  fully  ;  about  the  time  these  were  ripe,  a 
young  man  of  the  neighborhood  passing  by  and  think- 
ing no  one  was  in  sight,  gave  the  tree  a  shake  and  then 
with  great  haste  went  to  picking  up  the  plums  which 
fell  to  the  ground.  At  this  moment  the  old  gentleman 
providentially  came  out.  But  before  he  had  said  any 
thing,  the  young  man  under  all  the  embarrassment  of 
the  moment,  began  to  make  his  excuse  and  plead  as  an 
apology  for  what  he  was  doing,  that  he  had  shaken  the 
tree  but  once.  To  which  the  old  gentleman  made  this 
simple  reply,  that  if  every  one  should  do  the  same,  that 
he  himself  should  not  be  able  to  shake  even  once.  This 
reply,  while  it  suggests  an  interesting  truth,  is  said  to 
have  had  a  most  salutary  effect  upon  the  youth.  And 
I  hope  that  its  repetition  here  may  serve,  as  one  in- 
ducement among  others,  to  prevent  the  rising  generation 
from  exposing  themselves  to  the  chagrin  which  this  trans- 
gressor must  have  experienced.  Elder  Tenny's  house 
was  just  below  Mr.  Nathaniel  Wallingfords. 

3.  The  town's  expense  in  1720,  was  60Z.  16.s.  Ad.  in 
1820,  900Z.  average  for  the  ten  years  past,  2700  dollars. 
From  which  circumstance  may  be  known,  in  some  de- 
gree, the  increase  of  wealth  in  this  place,  for  the  last 
hundred  years.     It  does  not  appear  that  the  tax  now  is 


.64 

greater  according  to  the  value  of  property  than  it  was 
then. 

The  average  expense  for  maintaining  the  poor,  the 
last  10  years,  has  been  839  dollars. f 

The  following  circumstance  will  give  some  idea  of 
the  increase  in  the  value  of  land.  Before  Thomas  Kim- 
ball moved  into  this  town,  probably  about  the  year  1660 
or  a  little  after,  he  was  driving  a  herd  of  cattle  through 
on  his  way  to  Haverhill  or  Hampstead,  when  he  was 
met  by  one  of  the  land  holders  in  this  place,  probably 
Haseltine,  who  offered  to  take  his  cattle 
at  a  generous  price,  and  to  let  him  have  land  upon  the 
river  at  eight  pence  an  acre  in  exchange. 

4.  First  Settlers. — This  town  was  at  first  laid  out  in 
lots,  running  from  the  river  to  what  is  now  called  the 
Rowley  line.  These  lots  were  of  different  widths,  but 
the  boundaries  of  most  of  them  are  easily  discoverable 
by  the  course  of  the  fences.  And  a  sufficient  number 
of  them  are  still  in  the  possession  of  the  descendants 
of  the  first  inhabitants,  to  give  any  one  much  acquainted 
in  town,  an  idea  sufficientl}^  accurate  of  the  place  where 
the  first  people  lived,  and  the  land  they  occupied.  We 
will  repeat  their  names  in  order,  beginning  at  the  east 
end  of  the  town.  These  were  Joseph  Richardson,  Jonas 
Platts,  John  Hopkinson,  Joseph  Bailey,  Edward  Wood, 
*  Benjamin  Savory,  William  Hutchens,  *  Ezra  Rolf, 
Samuel  Tenney,  Frances  Jewett,  Samuel  Wooster. 
His  lot  was  the  one  on  which  Mr.  William  Balch  now  lives. 
Next  to  this  was  that  of  Samuel  Stickney.  Then  followed 
that  of  *John  and  *William  Hardy,  brothers  ;  who  it  is 
said  came  into  this  country  in  the  family  of  Gov.  Win- 
throp  as  labourers.  But  he,  not  finding  business  for 
them,  gave  them  at  first  land    at    Ipswich,  but   as  they 

f  Since  the  writing  of  this  discourse,  the  town  has  purchased  a  house 
and  farm  for  the  use  of  the  poor,  where  it  is  presumed  they  will  be  made 
more  comfortable,  and  the  expense  of  maintaining  be  less  than  formerly. 


65 

did  not  like  the  soil,  he  gave  them  leave  to  come  to 
this  town,  and  furnished  them  with  their  patent.  Their 
house  stood  just  back  of  Mr.  David  Mardin's,  where 
the  cellar  may  now  be  seen.  Next  to  them  was  the 
Phillips  Patent,  settled  by  Abraham  and  Daniel  Parker, 
cousins ;  the  former  born  in  Rowle}',  the  other  from 
Chelmsford.  Their  house  stood  almost  in  the  same  place 
that  Stephen  Parker's  well  now  occupies.  Next  to  them 
was  the  Carleton  patent.  They  lived  near  the  Mills  de- 
scribed before.  Then  was  the  Haseltine  Patent  ex- 
tending from  near  the  mouth  of  Johnson's  Creek  to 
Chadwick's  Ferry,  and  was  settled  b}'  Thomas  Kimball, 
whose  place    of    residence    we    have    already    described, 

*  William  Jackson,  *David  Hazeltine,  Shubel  Walker, 
*Abraham  Haseltine  and  Capt.  Woodman.  Then 
followed  the  lots  of  Thomas  West,  whose  house  stood 
near  where  Abijah  Gage  now  lives,  and  that  of  John 
Boynton  and  John  Griffin.  Next  to  them  and  extend- 
ing to  Andover  line,  was  the  patent  of  John  Day, 
whose  house  was  the  fourth  built  in  the  West  Parish. 
On  his   lot  were   three    original   settlers,  beside    himself, 

*  Nehemiah  Carlton,  *  Richard  Hale  and  *  Alexander 
Campbell.  The  land  on  the  Neck,  so  called,  was  pa- 
tented to  *  Philip  Atwood  and  John  Head.  Abraham 
Gage,  John  Annis  and  Samuel  Kimball  settled  with 
them. 

5.  The  following  are  the  names  of  Physicians,  who 
have  resided  in  this  place.  It  is  not  known  that  they 
stand  in  the  order  of  life.  Bailey,  John  Bishop, 

from  Ireland,  Ezekiel  Chace,  Benjamin  Muzzy,  John 
Tenny,  who  died  with  the  small  pox,  Seth  Jewett,  Eli- 
jah Proctor,  Manley  Hardy,  Ebenezer  Jewett  died  in 
1817,  and  Dr.  Benjamin  Parker  and  Jeremiah  Spofford, 
the  present  practioners. 

Note.     It  is  not   absolutely  certain   though   highlj'   probable   that   the 
christian  names  having  this  mark  *  are  correct. 


60 

G.  There  is  a  Post-office  in  this  town  opened  in  1811, 
and  was  granted  at  the  instance  of  Benjamin  Parker, 
Esq.  Such  are  the  arrangements  at  present  in  this  of- 
fice, that  the  people  in  both  Parishes  are  ahnost  as 
well  accommodated  as  though  there  was  one  in  both 
places. 

7.  In  addition  to  the  mechanics  already  enumerated, 
we  ought  to  mention,  that  the  town  is  well  furnished 
with  well-taught  carpenters,  blacksmiths,  masons  and 
j^ainters.  And  indeed  with  tradesmen  of  almost  every 
description,  whose  personal  services  are  needed  in  com- 
mon life,  and  it  is  with  real  satisfaction,  that  I  add, 
that  the  most  of  them  are  men  of  industrious  habits  and 
sober  lives. 

8.  Peat,  and  of  a  very  good  quality,  abounds  in  this 
town.  Large  and  increasing  quantities  of  it  are  cut 
every  year.  And  such  is  the  extent  of  the  meadows, 
that  there  is  the  fullest  reason  to  believe,  people  of  many 
generations  will  be  supplied  with  good  fuel  without  any 
considerable  advance  from  the  present  price.  It  is  more- 
over the  opinion  of  good  judges  on  the  subject,  that  the 
quantity  of  wood  has  not  diminished  but  rather  in- 
creased for  the  30  years  past.  And  a  few,  among  whom 
is  Mr.  Diiniel  Spofford,  have  commenced  the  cultivation 
of  wood,  by  sowing,  on  suitable  land,  acorns,  walnuts, 
&c.,  an  example,  which  it  will  undoubtedly  be  wise  for 
those  to  follow  who  have  rough  and  waste  land. 

The  soil  in  this  town  is,  as  has  been  oljserved,  gener- 
ally good  ;  it  is  also  much  benefitted  by  the  large  quan- 
tities of  salt  hay,  which  are  yearly  brought  into  town ; 
but  its  produce  might  still  be  greatly  increased  by  the 
proper  use  of  Plaster  of  Paris.  And  it  is  not  a  little  sur- 
prising, after  what  is  known  on  the  subject,  that  this  arti- 
cle is  so  little  used  in  this  town  and  vicinity.  I  have  found 
it  of  the  greatest  service  in   my  garden.     It  is  well  known 


67 

tliat  Mr.  David  How,  of  Haverhill,  who  so  far  as  the 
cultivation  of  land  is  concerned,  is  not  only  one  of  the 
greatest  but  best  farmers  in  this  part  of  the  count}', 
makes  great  use  of  and  finds  it  of  great  service.  And 
why  should  it  not  be  equally  beneficial  to  others,  and 
if  so  why  not  use  it  ? 

9.  Meeting  Houses.  When  the  first  meeting-house 
was  built  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  It  must 
have  been,  as  appears  from  circumstances,  several  years 
before  the  first  meeting  of  the  town  on  record.  In  1705 
a  vote  passed  to  build  a  new  meeting  house,  48  feet  long 
and  42  broad  ;  but  it  was  afterwards  voted  it  sliould  be 
40  feet  wide  and  20  feet  between  plate  and  sill ;  and 
Capt.  David  Haseltine,  John  Chadwick  and  Ensign  Jo- 
seph Bailey  were  appointed  a  committee  to  inquire  about 
the  expense  of  such  a  building,  and  Capt.  Haseltine, 
Cornet  Richard  Kimball,  and  John  Hutchins  a  commit- 
tee to  carry  on  the  building. 

In  1726,  the  year  the  town  was  divided  into  parishes, 
this  parish  built  their  first  meeting-house.  Standing  as 
you  all  know,  but  a  little  distance  from  the  one  in  which 
we  now  worship. 

In  1790  the  one  in  which  we  now  Avorship  was  built. 
The  committee  entrusted  with  the  direction  of  this  were 
Bradstreet  Parker,  Phineas  Carlton,  William  Balch, 
Samuel  Adams,  Retier  H.  Parker,  Thomas  Morse  and 
Peter  Russell.  The  contractors  were  Phineas  Carleton, 
Ebenezer  Hopkinson,  Silas  Hopkinson,  Edward  Sargent ; 
and  the  sum  for  which  they  undertook  it  was  X6^2  8  0  ; 
and  it  is  no  more  than  justice  to  say,  the  plan  does 
great  credit  to  the  committee  who  contrived  it,  and  the 
work  to  those  who  performed  it.  It  is  certainly  a  very 
convenient  and  neatly  finished  house.  I  wish  I  could 
add,  that  it  was  in  all  respects  in  that  state  of  perfect 
repair  which  a  true  regard  to  beauty  and  economy  really 
requires. 


68 

About  the  3'ear  1750  those  who  separated  from  this 
Parish  bought  a  meeting-house  in  Rowley,  and  moved 
it  into  the  east  part  of  the  town,  where  they  met,  for 
some  time,  for  religious  services.  This  building  has  since 
been  removed,  and  is  now  improved  by  the  Baptist  so- 
ciety in  Rowley. 

The  west  parish  built  their  present  meeting-house  in 
1751.  The  committee  appointed  to  attend  to  the  build- 
ing of  this  were  Benjamin  Gage,  Daniel  Thurston,  Na- 
thaniel Gage,  Josiah  Chandler  and  Moses  Gage. 

10.  It  was  observed  in  the  discourse,  that  this  town 
Avas  always  ready  and  did  in  reality  bear  its  full  pro- 
portion of  the  expense  and  labour  of  the  revolutionary 
war.  One  instance  of  the  remarkable  preservation  of 
the  lives  of  those,  from  this  town,  in  the  day  of  battle, 
is  worthy  of  being  recorded.  Capt.  Nathaniel  Gage,  with 
a  company  of  40  men  from  this  town  was  in  the  Bat- 
tle at  Bunker  Hill,  and  in  a  place  much  exposed  to  the 
enemy,  an  3'et  not  a  life  was  lost.  This  company  had 
been    instructed   in    military    manoeuvres   by    an    Erglish 

deserter  who  is  still  living  in  H .     And  was  one   of 

the  best  disciplined  and  most  effective  companies  engaged 
in  that  ever-memoiable  day. 

There  was  something  of  a  similar  preserving  provi- 
dence extended  to  the  company,  which  marched  from 
this  to  Stillwater,  N.  Y.  during  the  French  war  of  1755, 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  William  Kimball.  All  of 
whom  returned  again  to  their  own  homes  in  safety. 
The  journal  of  Capt.  K.  during  his  service  has  been  pre- 
served and  is  now  in  the  hands   of  Jesse  Kimball,  Esq. 

11.  There  are  in  the  East  parish  121  houses  ;  165 
families;  131  married  couples;  10  widowers  ;  36  widows  ; 
39  male  and  71  female  members  of  the  Congregational 
church  now  in  the  parish.  The  whole  number  belong- 
ing to  the  church  about  180.     'J  Calvinistic  Baptist  pro- 


69 

fessors  ;  9  Free-will  Baptist  professors  ;  170  baptized  per- 
sons not  in  full  communion.  About  500  persons  under 
21  ;  10  above  80  ;  and  850  in  all.  In  the  West  parish 
there  are  91  houses  ;  97  married  couples  ;  8  widowers  ; 
21  widows ;  25  male  and  35  female  memV)ers  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  ;  12  Calvinistic  Baptist  professors  ; 
15  Free-will  Baptist  professors ;  about  450  under  21 
years ;  8  above  80  ;  800  in  all. 

And  now  before  I  come  to  a  final  conclusion,  I  will 
take  this  opportunity  to  express  my  obligations  to  all, 
who  have  assisted  me  in  collecting  any  of  the  facts  con- 
tained in  this  discourse,  particularly  to  the  old,  for  the 
cheerfulness  with  which  they  have  heard  and  answered 
my  many  inquiries.  And  I  will  further  observe,  liow- 
ever  highly  I  may  have  esteemed  and  respected  them 
before,  I  have,  from  the  intercourse,  which  the  writino- 
of  this  discourse  htis  caused  me  to  have  with  them,  found 
abundant  cause  still  more  highly  to  esteem  and  respect 
them,  especially  when  in  addition  to  the  wisdom  which 
experience  has  taught  them,  their  old  age  is  found  in  the 
ways  of  righteousness.  And  I  do  believe,  did  the  youth 
know  what  a  fund  of  useful  information  they  have,  in- 
formation too,  which  can  be  found  only  with  them,  con- 
cerning the  ways  of  God  and  the  conduct  of  men  in 
this  town,  and  the  interesting  manner,  in  which  many 
of  them  communicate  this  knowledge,  their  company 
would  be  sought  for  as  that  from  which  the  greatest 
delight  and  pleasure  were  to  be  derived. 


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